THE  LIBRARY 
OF  , 
THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


BIOLOGY    LIBRARY 
U.  C.  L.  A. 


HABITS 

OF 

CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


BY 

KATHERINE  CHANDLER 


EDUCATIONAL    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

San  Franxisco 
New  York  Chicago  Boston 


COPYRIGHTEP 

By   educational   publishing  CUMPAJSTi 
1903 


BiomedJcaJ 
Library 

til 


\ 


Zo  /Hb^  /iRotber, 

irabose  Xove  for  tbe  MilMngs  of  IWaturc 

Mas  made  tbem  Sentient  1lnMpi&uals 

Co  Met  CbilDren. 


k 
k, 
V 

^ 


PREFACE. 

The  subject  matter  of  this  book  appeared  first  as  a  series 
of  papers  on  California  Wild  Flowers  on  the  Ciiildren's 
Page  of  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle.  Upon  i)ublicatiou, 
requests  came  from  school  teachers  in  different  parts  of  the 
state  to  issue  the  series  in  book  form.  This  is  the  ex(*use 
for  the  book's  existence. 

The  plants  are  introduced  through  their  bloss(^ms,  because 
the  flower  is  the  part  that  appeals  to  the  child,  except  in 
the  case  of  trees ;  but  it  is  hoped  that  the  suggestions  as 
to  the  habits  of  the  roots,  stems,  and  leaves  will  lie  empha- 
sized by  the  teacher.  AVhen  the  child  gains  the  feeling  that 
each  plant  is  really  an  individual,  with  its  own  iieculiar  way 
of  doing  its  life  work,  the  whole  out-of-door  world  becomes 
a  larger,  more  wonderful  realm. 

The  hal)its  of  plants  was  first  suggested  to  the  writer  by 
Miss  Alice  Fastwood,  Botanist  of  the  California  Academy 
of  Science,  in  a  class  connected  with  her  department.  To 
her  is  due  nuich  that  is  of  value  in  the  work.  My  mother 
suggested  the  writing  of  the  papers  for  the  Chronicle  and 
collected  many  of  the  specimens  for  the  illustrations.  Pro- 
fessor W.  A.  Setchell  and  Professor  "W.  L.  Jepson  of  the 
Department  of  Botany  of  the  University  of  California 
rendered  assistance  in  the  study  of  trees.  Professor  Jepson 
loaned  some  of  his  photographs  and  Mr.  H.  M.  Hall,  also 
of  the  Department  of  Botany,  University'  of  California, 
secured  specimens  for  the  photographs.     Mi"s.  Alice  Men'itt 

i 


Davidson's  "  Californin  Plants  in  Tlieiv  Homes"  and  Miss 
JNIarv  P>lizaltt't.h  Parsons'  ''  Tlu'  Wild  Flowers  of  California," 
as  well  as  the  best  known  botanies  of  the  Coast,  were  con- 
sulted frecinently  in  the  preparation  of  the  papers. 

I  am  also  indebted  to  Miss  Kertha  Chapman,  Snpervisor 
of  Nature  Study  in  the  Oakland  schools,  for  trying  the  man- 
uscript in  the  different  grades,  to  Mr.  B.  F.  White  of  the 
University  of  California,  for  liis  patience  and  skill  in  photo- 
graphing the  specimens,  and  to  Miss  Harriet  Hawley  of 
New  York,  INIiss  Marion  Rouse  of  Pacific  Grove,  autT^my 
brother,  A.  E.  Chandler  for  encouragement  and  helpful 
criticism. 

San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Kathekine  Chandler. 

Oct.  15,  1903. 


TABLE    OF    CONTEXTS. 


Chapter        I.     ROME  PLANTS  WITH   GAY  COROLLAS 


Chapter      IL 


Chapter     IIL 


Chapter     IV. 


Chapter 


Chapter     VI. 


Buttercup. 
Mustard. 
Suucup. 
Baby-blue-eyes. 

SOME     PLANTS 
CALYXES    . 
Iris. 

Fritillaria. 


Poppy. 

Shooting  Star. 
Hollyhock. 
Mallow. 

WITH    ATTRACTIVE 

Columbine. 
Larkspur. 


SOME    PLANTS  WITHOUT   COROLLAS 
Dutchman's  I^ipe.      Sand  Verbena. 
Wild  Ginger.  California  Laurel. 

Buckwheat. 


SOME     PLANTS 
ROLL AS  .     . 
Manzanita. 
Madrono. 
Suowberry. 
Miniulus. 
Snapdragon. 

SOME    PLANTS 
POWERS       . 
Lupine. 
Alfalfa, 
Bur  Clover. 

SOME    PLANTS 
BLOSSOMS 
Umbellifera'. 
Compositie. 
Grindelia. 


WITH     UNITED     CO- 

Mint. 

Yerba  Buena. 
White  Sage. 
Chia. 

WITH    MECHANICAL 

Wild  Pea. 

Filaree. 

,Tohnny-jump-up. 

WITH    NEIGHBORLY 

Compass  Plant. 
Sunshine. 


?>7 


6U 


89 


111 


CONTENTS 


Chapter    VII.     SOME  PLANTS 
BLOSSOMS 
Chilicothe. 
Willow. 
Cottouwooils. 
Alder. 
Sycamore. 
Maple. 
Hazeluut. 
White  Oak. 
Live  Oak. 
Black  Oak. 
Taubark  Oak. 
Piney. 

Sugar  Pine. 
Yellow  Pine. 


WITH   CO-OPERATIVE 

Digger  Pine. 
Single-leaf  Pine. 
Monterey  Pine. 
Tamarack  Pine. 
Firs. 
Hemlock. 
Douglas  Spruce. 
Monterey  Cypress. 
Juniper. 
Red  Cedar. 
Incense  Cedar. 
Big  Tree. 
Redwood. 


129 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Buttercup 8 

Wild  Mustard 14 

Shepherd's  Purse    ....  16 

Sun  Cup 17 

Baby-blue-eyes ID 

P(.ppy        22 

Shooting  Star 26 

Hollyhock 28 

Mallow 34 

Iris :^8 

Fritillaria 44 

Colunibiue 47 

Larkspur 50 

Dutchman's  Pipe    ....  54 

Wild  Ginger 57 

Sand  Verbena 59 

California  Laurel  ....  61 

Buckwheat G4 

Mauzauita 67 

Madrono 70 

Snowberry 73 

Yellow  Snapdragon    ...  76 

Snapdragon 79 

Indian  Paint  Brush  (Scrojih- 

ularicea:') 80 

Mint  Pamily 81 

Yerba  Bueua 83 

White  Sage 84 

Chia  (showing  leaves)    .     .  86 

Chia  (showing  floAver  he  ails)  87 

Lupine 00 

Alfalfa 96 

Bur  Clover 98 

Wild  Pea lOu 

Filaree— Alfllerilla      .     .     .  102 

Johnny-jump-up     ....  104 

Umbellifera- 110 


PAGE 

Umbelliferae — Cow  Parsnip    112 

Umbellifera' 114 

Composite — Layia     .     .     .  120 

Grindelia 122 

Sunshine  .  .  .  .  121,  126 
Compass  Flower    ....   125 

Chilicothe 130 

Pussy  Willow 134 

Cottonwood 138 

Alder — Blossoms  and  Stum    140 

Sycamore 142 

Maple 144 

Hazelnut 147 

White  Oak 148 

Young  White  Oak  .  .  .150 
Live  Oak  of  Coast — Quercns 

Agrifolia 152 

Tanbark  Oak 156 

Sugar  Pine  (cone)      .     .     .   162 

Yellow  Pine 164 

Yellow  Pine  (cone)  .  .  .  165 
Digger  Pine  (cone;  .  .  .  166 
Pinus  Monophylla,  Hem- 
lock, Tamarack  Pine — 
Pinus  Contorta  (cones)  168 
Tamarack  Pine  ....  170 
Monterey  Pine  (cones)  .     .171 

Red  Fir 172 

Douglas  Spruce  .  .  .  .178 
Monterey  Cypress       .     .     .181 

.luuiper 182 

Red  Cedar 184 

Incense  Cedar — Litjocedrus 

Decurrens 186 

A  Prostrate  Giant  .  .  .  188 
Thrt  Wish-bone  tree  .  .  .  190 
Redwood 194 


\ 


IJUTTKHCUP. 


CHAPTER    L 
Some  Plants  with  Gay  Cokoi.las. 

Most  of  yon   l)oys  and  ^irls  will   a,i>i'e('  that 

one  of  yonr  earliest  aeqnaintanees  among"    the 

wild    flowers    was    the    Buttercup.     Its    golden 

smile    attracted    your    baby    eyes, 

BUTTERCUPS.         ,      ,  ,,  *      /  i  i 

and  when  some  older  person  held 

it  under  your  chin  to  see  if  you  ''loved  but- 
ter," you  immediately  fell  in  love  with  the  wise 
little  blossom.  Since  then  you  have  seen  so 
many  Buttercups  that  perhaps  you  accept  them 
with  the  same  indifterence  that  you  do  the  sun- 
shine, and  have  learned  very  little  of  their  intei'- 
esting  habits. 

You  know  you  would  never  really  feel 
acquainted  with  Johnny  Jones  or  Ruth  Gray  if 
you  simply  glanced  at  their  pretty  clothes  and 
never  saw  them  working  or  playing.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  flowers.  If  you  do  not  know 
what   they  do,  you    really    are    not    acquainted 


10         HABITS  OF  TALTFOnNIA  PLANTS 

with  llu'iii.  Suj)})()se  you  watch  a  Butterciip 
carefully  and  see  ^hich  of  its  habits  yoii  have 
already  observed  and  Avhich  are  new  to  yon. 

Each  one  of  you  has  noticed  that  the  upper 
side  of  the  Buttercnp  petal  shines  as  if 
varnished  and  tliat  the  lower  side  is  a  dull. 
li<):hter  color.  Have  vou  all  fonnd  a  little  heaw 
plate  applied  at  the  lower  end  of  the  upper  face 
of  each  petal  and  the  dainty  fine  lines  leading 
down  to  this  plate?  Just  look  foi-  them.  The 
plate  is  a  dish  of  honey  and  the  lines  are  called 
"  honey  paths  "  because  they  gnide  the  hungry 
insect  down  to  the  feast  set  for  him.  The  But- 
tercnp's  "golden  chalice"  attracts  the  insect. 
He  approaches  it  and  smells  the  honey.  Then 
he  lands  on  one  of  the  honey  paths  and  soon 
is  devouring  the  sweetness.  While  he  satisfies 
his  hnnger,  he  rubs  against  the  ontside  stamens 
and  gets  all  powdered  with  the  yellow  pollen 
fi'om  their  anthers.  When  he  has  taken  the 
honey  from  one  Buttercnp,  he  goes  to  another; 
and  in  extracting  its  sweets,  he  is  most  likely  to 
brnsh  his  powdered  sides  against  the  stigma, 
which    quickly    holds    the    pollen    fast.      This 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  H 

stigma,   you    know,    is    the    top    of    the    pistil 
wherein  Httle  cells  are  waiting  for  some  pollen 
to  make  them  grow  into  seeds. 

This  is  why  the  Buttercup  wears  such  a 
pretty  golden  gown  and  stores  such  luscious 
honey  —  just  to  make  the  insect  exchange  her 
pollen  with  that  of  a  sister  blossom.  This  is 
the  way  the  Buttercup  ripens  good  seeds  to 
produce  healthy  plants  the  next  year. 

If,  through  some  mischance,  an  insect  does 
not  bring  pollen  to  a  blossom,  it  can  fertilize 
itself.  When  the  outside  anthers,  which  turn 
away  from  the  center,  discharge  all  their  pollen, 
the  inner  ones  ripen  and  some  of  their  pollen 
falls  on  the  stigma  of  their  own  flowei*.  Just 
Avatch  how  the  different  circles  of  stamens  ripen 
in  turn. 

Because  the  seed-making  parts  of  the  flower 
are  the  most  impoi'tant,  the  rest  of  the  blossom 
is  very  careful  of  them.  You  have  seen  how, 
as  soon  as  the  sun  goes  behind  the  hills,  the 
Buttercup  folds  its  petals  close  under  its  fur- 
covered  green  sepal  coats.  Then  it  sleeps 
snugly  until  the  next  sun  awakens  it.     Do  the 


12  HABITS  OF   CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

old  blossoms  that  have  their  seeds  started  also 
fold  their  petals? 

Have  you  noticed  the  cone-shaped  bundle  of 
seeds  and  the  little  hook  on  the  end  of  each 
seed?  When  the  seed  is  quite  ripe,  it  fastens 
this  hook  into  anything  passing  by  —  perhaiDS 
the  coat  of  a  sheep,  perha[)s  the  nap  of  your 
clothing  —  and  then  it  is  carried  to  a  new  field. 

The  Californian  Indians  used  to  pai-ch  this 
seed  cone  of  the  buttercup  and  beat  it  into  a 
meal.  Sometimes  this  was  eaten  in  the  dry, 
powdered  form  and  sometimes  as  a  gruel,  made 
l)y  dropping  hot  stones  into  a  grass  basket  of 
water  until  the  water  was  hot  and  then  mixing 
in  the  meal.  It  is  said  to  have  tasti'd  like 
parched  corn.  Yon  might  tiy  it  for  a  dolls' 
party. 

Another  golden  flower  that  springs  up  just 
after  the  early  rains  is  what  is  commonly  called 

Mustard.  Children  who  have  been 
MUSTARD. 

compelled  to  pull  it  up  irom  then- 
fathers'  orchards  or  grain  fields  gi'ow  to  detest 
it,  and  yet  it  is  beautiful  to  look  at.  When 
millions  of  the  dainty  blossoms  glow  on  hillside 


TT.MUTS  OF  CALIFOHNIA  PLANTS  13 

oi"  ill  valley,  California  is  a  ^'Golden  State" 
indeed. 

This  pretty  flower  is  not  really  a  Mustard, 
but  a  wild  turnip,  as  you  will  see  if  you  dig*  up 
its  root.  The  true  Mustard,  ''the  black  Mus- 
tard," which  blooms  somewhat  later,  is  not  a 
native  Calif orniau,  though  it  has  played  a  ])art 
in  the  history  of  onr  state.  Over  a  hundred 
years  ago,  when  the  Spanish  padres  were 
founding  missions  here  and  there  in  the  wilder- 
ness, they  scattered  Mustard  seeds  along  their 
footsteps  from  one  site  to  another.  The  Mus- 
tard grew  fast  and  kept  a  well  defined  path  in 
sight.  In  these  days  of  improved  roads,  it 
needs  no  longer  be  a  sentinel,  so  it  Avanders 
with  the  wind  to  eveiy  nook  and  corner  of  the 
country.  The  eai-ly  settlers  at  San  Jose  found 
the  Mustard  plant  so  tall  that  they  used  it  to 
make  their  first  sheds  and  chicken-houses. 
From  the  seed  of  this  Mustard,  a  superior  medi- 
cinal oil  is  made,  and  hundreds  of  tons  of  the 
seeds  are  shipped  from  Califoi'uia  each  year. 

Of  course,  the  Mustard  has  no  intention  of 
being  useful  to  man.     It  only  wishes  to  ripen 


1^^ 

1 

n 

^^^C'v  ti  ■'  -s^^^^M 

H 

^^K^^^M 

nlniH 

^^^^HB?  -^S 

wSu^M 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BL'^^PI 

^■/j^^i 

^^^^H// ^^^V  ^K'    ;^S^>v^^| 

^^^^^^^^^^^^""^^^l^^^^^^H  fl 

I^^HJI 

R 

fi 

^^^^^^^^^^^H 

WILD  MUSTARD. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  15 

strong"  seeds  an<l  to  scatter  them  over  tlie  earth; 
so  it  wears  tlie  l)rig'ht-hiiecl  dress  and  sj)rea(ls 
out  the  feast  of  honey,  just  as  the  Buttereup 
does.  Find  the  honey  ghinds  yourself.  They 
are  not  on  the  j^etals,  ])ut  you  eau  easily  find 
them.  If  you  drink  the  droi)s  of  fragrant  nee- 
tar,  you  will  appi'ove  of  the  insect's  seeking  it. 
The  Mustard  produces  thousands  of  seeds  and 
holds  their  cases  high  up  in  the  air  so  that  the 
wind  may  carry  the  ripened  seeds  broadcast 
over  the  land. 

Many  of  the  early  flowers  are  cousins  to 
the  Mustard.  Their  family  name  is  Cruciferce, 
because  their  four  petals  are  arranged  as  a 
cross.  Ci'uciferjr  is  not  a  hard  name  to  i-emem- 
ber,  when  you  once  know  what  it  means.  And 
just  here,  I  wish  to  say  to  you  boys  and  girls 
that  very  few  of  the  botanical  names  are  hard 
to  remember  after  you  get  them  connected  with 
the  plants  they  belong  to.  They  are  no  more 
difficult  than  "  photograph  "  or  '^  automobile," 
that  you  know  so  well.  If  a  boy  named 
Tadeusz  Kosciusko  sat  next  you  in  school,  in 
a  few  days  his  name  would  seem  as  easy  to  you 


10 


HABITS  (^F  OALIFORXIA  PLANTS 


as  John  Smith.  So  you  will 
find  it  with  plants,  if  3'ou  tiy 
to  remember  the  botanical 
titles. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  Cruci- 
ferWj  you  will  find  that  the}^ 
all    have    six     stamens,    two 
shorter  than  the  othei's.     The 
Spring     Beauty,    the     Shep- 
herd's    Purse,     the     Pepper 
Grass,  the  Turnip,  the  Lace 
Pod,    the   AVall    Flower,  and 
the  Rock  Cress  are  members 
of  this   family,  and  you  will 
find    other    common    ones    if 
y^ou  are  observing.     Be  sure 
^  to    notice     their    seed-cases. 
sHEPHKKB's  PcnsE.       They  are  interesting. 
A  common  yellow  flower  that  you  might  mis- 
take for  a   Crucifene   because  of   the  arrange- 
ment of  its  four  petals  is  the  Suncup  or  Cowslip. 
It  l)looms  close  to  the  ground  out  of 


SUNCUP. 


a  mat  of  o'reen  leaves.     If  you  exam- 


ine it,  you  will  find  it  has  eight  stamens  instead 


«UN  CUP. 


18  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

of  six.  It  really  belongs  to  the  Evening  Prim- 
rose family,  the  Onxiyi^acew.  Just  notice  its 
calyx.  See  how  it  lengthens  out  into  a  tube 
and  goes  down,  down  under  the  dark  eai'th 
until  it  ends  in  the  ovaiy  or  seed  vessel.  Think 
of  such  a  sunuy  flower  I'ipening  its  seeds  be- 
neath the  ground!  How  do  3011  suppose  it 
scatters  its  seeds?  See  if  you  can  find  out. 
Why  do  you  think  the  Suncup  hides  her  seeds 
so  securely? 

Is  there  one  of  you  children  wdio  has  not 
hailed  with  delight  the  first  Baby-blue-eyes  3'ou 
met  in  the  spring?     And  have  you  ever  grown 

tired  of  the  daintv  little  blos- 
BABY-BLUE-EYES.  ,  T    ..   ,  i 

som,  even  when  the  uelds  wei'e 

blue  with  them?  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  this 
fiower  looks  as  delicate  and  as  helpless  as  a 
l)aby,  it  is  very  well  able  to  take  care  of  itself. 
You  will  find  on  its  petals  hcniey  paths  and 
hairy  little  bowls  of  nectar. 

Then  investigate  to  learn  why  Baby-blue- 
eyes  is  so  generous.  Look  at  her  five  stamens 
and  notice  the  l)i-own  anther  at  tiic  toj)  of  each. 
See  how  in   the  iivsh  Idossom  it   tilts  outwai'd 


BABV-BLUE-EYES. 


20  HABITS  OF  CALIFOIJXIA   PLANTS 

toward  the  petal.  When  the  l)ee  eomes  down 
the  honey  path,  he  bungles  around  and  hits  the 
stamen.  Then  the  anther  opens  and  lets  some 
of  the  gray  pollen  fall  upon  him.  When  he  has 
eaten  all  the  honey  in  one  flower,  he  flies  to 
another  Bab\ -blue-eyes.  AV^hile  he  is  ^vander- 
ing  head  downward  in  it,  his  sides  and  legs  are 
sure  to  brush  the  two  little  stigmas  at  the  top  of 
the  pistil,  and  leave  some  pollen  upon  them.  If 
110  insect  brings  Bali^^-ldue-eyes  pollen,  as  she 
grows  old,  she  turns  her  anthei's  in  and  pours 
their  ])ollen  u])on  her  oAvn  stigmas. 

Some  people  call  the  Baby-blue-eyes  the 
Californian  Bluebell,  and  the  Spanish  Cali- 
^  fornians  named  it  Mariana,  in  honor  of  the 
Tirgiii  ^lary.  Its  botanical  name  is  Nemophila 
inxiynis.  jS^emophila  means  "lover  of  the 
giove,"'  and  is  better  applied  to  other  members 
of  the  family  than  to  oui'  Baby-blue-eyes, 
Avho  revels  in  the  sunsliine.  Insignis  means 
"remarkable""  or  -'marked,"  and  is  ])i'ol)ably 
given  because  of  the  cleai-ness  of  the  color. 

A  sister  of  Baby-blue-eyes,  a  violet  l^emo- 
phila  that  lives  in  woodsy  spots,  has  a  habit  dif- 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  21 

ferent  from  the  rest  of  its  family.  When  you 
j)iek  it,  you  find  the  stems  all  prickly  and  at  the 
same  time  so  weak  that  they  break  at  your 
touch.  If  you  look  at  the  stem  under  a  micro- 
scope, you  will  see  that  each  prickle  is  a  tiny 
hook,  ready  to  catch  on  to  anything  that  offers 
support  and  also  ready  to  pierce  any  mouth  that 
may  wish  to  devour  it.  They  say  that  the 
Spanish  Californian  seiloritas  used  to  decorate 
their  party  dresses  with  this  ISTemophila  because 
it  clings  so  gracefully.  Probably  no  girl  used 
it  the  second  time,  for  it  wilts  so  quickly  it 
would  look  pretty  onl}'  a  few  moments. 

Our  State  Legislature  in  1903  adopted  as  our 
State  flower,  the  Pop])y,  and  we  will  all  agree 

that  no  other  blossom  is  so  suggestive 
POPPY.  .         . 

of  our  golden  hearted  California.     You 

know  why  the  Poppy  wears  so  gorgeous  a  dress. 

Have    you    ever    found    an    insect    wandering 

round  in  one?    Why  was  it  there?     The  Poppy 

does  not  spread  a  feast  of  honey,  but  she  keeps 

a  large  supply  of  pollen  foi'  the  Inigs,  and  while 

they   eat   it,  she    sifts    some    over    them.     You 

have  all  powdei-ed  your  nose  with  the  Poj)py's 


POPi'V. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  23 

gold,  but  have  you  watched  how  the  anther  dis- 
charges this  rich  dust? 

You  know  the  pale  green  night  cap  that  the 
Poppy  bud  wears  and  you  have  seen  the  bud 
push  it  off.  Have  you  noticed  how  as  the 
flower  grows  old  each  petal  curls  up  by  itself 
around  its  own  pollen  boxes?  The  Poppy  is 
so  careful  to  keep  her  pollen  dry  that  she  keeps 
open  house  only  in  the  sunu}^  midday. 

Did  you  ever  pull  off  a  Poppy  petal?  If  so, 
what  else  did  you  get,  and  what  was  the  shape 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  petal?  Why  is  it  so? 
Do  you  know  how  the  seed-case  is  arranged 
and  what  will  make  it  open?  Watch  it.  Does 
the  root  of  the  Popj)y  die  when  the  leaves  fade? 
See  for  yourself. 

If  you  care  to  read  about  tloAvers,  you  will 
find  that  the  Poppy  has  been  more  sung  about 
than  any  other  of  our  Califoruia  wild  flowers. 
All  visitors  have  been  impressed  with  its 
beauty.  Indeed  its  botanical  name  tells  of  a 
visitor  from  Germany.  Early  in  the  last  cen- 
tury a  Kussian  ship,  which  was  going  around 
the    world,    stopped   at    California.     On    board 


24  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

was  a  l)otanist  who  named  all  the  native  flowers 
new  to  the  scientific  world.  On  boai-d  was  also 
a  physician  named  Dr.  Eschscholtz.  As  he 
admired  the  Pop])y  very  mnch,  the  botanist 
named  it  Eschscholtz  la,  I'or  him,  and  (\tJiforiuca 
for  its  birthplace. 

In  the  East  and  in  Enrope  the  Poppy  is  a 
treasured  garden  plant.  However  it  grows 
paler  under  civilization,  and  only  here  on  our 
own  shores,  where  it  wanders  entirely  free,  has 
it  the  warm  hue  of  blazing  flames. 

If  you  had  been  l)oi'n  a  little  Indian  in  Placer 
County  fifty  years  ago,  you  would  have  eaten 
the  Poppy  plant  as  a  green  after  your  mamma 
had  boiled  it  or  roasted  it  on  hot  rocks.  If  you 
had  lived  here  in  the  Spanish  Californian  days, 
you  might  have  used  an  oil  made  from  the 
Poppy  fried  in  olive  oil  to  make  your  hair  long 
and  glossy.  Today  the  druggists  find  the  plant 
useful.  They  use  its  extract  as  a  cure  for 
sleeplessness  and  headache.  If  you  sj)end  some 
time  each  day  out  studying  the  Po])py\s  habits, 
you  will  never  have  a  headache  nor  need  a 
slee])ing  cu]). 


TIAI'.ITS  OF  CALTFOrxXIA    PLANTS  ■>') 

One  of  the  gayest  i-ol)ed  of  our  early  flowers 
is  the  Shooting  Star.  Yon  know  how  the  stalk 
conies  np    from    the    lowly  mat  of  gray  green 

leaves     and    is    crowned    with 

SHOOTING  STAR.  ,  ,.        ,.      .   i  , 

a  clnster  of   radiant   blossoms. 

How  gracefully  the  petals  of  each  flower  curve 
back  their  crimson  folds!  See  how  their  front 
forms  a  tube  edged  with  bands  of  maroon  and 
yellow  or  white.  Notice  the  tube-like  arrange- 
ment of  the  dark  anthers  and  how  the  long 
pistil  extends  out  beyond  them. 

All  the  flowers  of  the  cluster  do  not  bloom 
at  once,  so  that  sometimes  the  stalk  waves 
its  banner  for  several  weeks.  The  Shooting 
Star  has  a  reason  for  this  and  for  her  clus- 
tered blossoms.  She  does  not  store  honey  and 
so  she  has  to  depend  on  her  lieauty  for  atten- 
tion from  the  insects.  She  raises  her  stalk 
far  above  her  leaves  so  as  to  have  a  prom- 
inent position;  she  sends  out  a  group  of 
blossoms  so  as  to  make  a  larger  mass  of 
color;  and  she  has  them  ripen  by  stages  so 
that  they  will  have  more  time  to  receive  in- 
sect visitors.     If  they  died  in  a  day,  as  some 


SHOOTING  STAR. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  27 

blossoiiis  do,  sIk'  would  never  receive  pollen 
from  a  sister  plant. 

Shooting  Star  is  careful  of  her  pollen.  The 
anthers  hold  it  fast  until  something  shakes 
them.  If  no  insect  comes,  Avhen  the  flower 
grows  old  the  stigma  turns  \ip  a  little;  and,  as 
the  wind  shakes  the  stalk,  the  pollen  falls  out 
of  the  anthers  upon  it  and  the  seed  is  ripened. 

Have  you  noticed  the  little  stems  that  hold 
the  flowers  at  the  top  of  the  stalk?  See  how 
they  stand  up  straight  when  they  beai-  a  l)ud, 
curve  over  Avhen  it  is  a  blossom  to  protect  the 
pollen,  and  then  become  erect  again  when  they 
are  holding  the  seed-case.  How  does  this  seed- 
case  open  to  let  the  seeds  out,  and  just  what 
will  make  it  open? 

Did  you  ever  dig  up  a  Shooting  Star  and  look 
at  its  roots?  If  you  transplant  any  one  of  the 
tubers,  you  may  hiivc  a  new  plant  from  it. 
You  will  see  that  this  habit  of  the  roots  is  a 
good  way  to  nudtiply  the  Shooting  Stai'.  Do 
you  know  any  other  ])lant  thnt  has  i-oots  with 
this  habit? 

I  wonder  what  you  call    the   Shooting  Star? 


HOLLYHOCK. 


TIABirS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  29 

Some  children  call  it  "  roosters,"  some  ^'  mos- 
quito ])ill."  and  others  "  prairie  pointers."  The 
botanical  name,  Dodecatheon  means  "^'twelve 
gods."  Pr(^l)ably  some  old  (ireek  found  twelve 
blossoms  in  a  cluster  and  gave  it  this  name. 
Have  ynu  ever  found  so  many  on  one  stalk?  T 
have  not. 

When  you  see  in  the  early  spring  a  pink 
glow  in  some  uncultivated  field  or  on  some 
sunny  hillside,  you  know  that  the  wild  Holly- 
hock has  awakened  to  her  year's  work.     You 

pick  a  stem  with   its   daintv  bell- 
HOLLYHOCK.    \         ,  ..  „  i    i        . 

shaped  blossoms  all  croAvdeil  to  its 

top,  and  as  you  gaze  into  one  blossom  of 
gauzy  rose-pink  heavily  veined  with  white,  you 
exclaim,  "  Miss  Hollyhock,  too,  must  be  expect- 
ing guests."  You  raise  it  neai-er  to  your  nose 
and  get  a  whiff  of  nectar  sweeter  and  more 
delicate  than  even  that  of  Baby-blue-eyes. 
Then  you  search  for  the  honey  glands,  and  find 
also  the  '*  honey  i^rotectors,"  the  little  hairs  that 
keep  the  moisture  out. 

As  you  look  into  the  center  of  the  flower, 
yon  may  see  one  of  two  things.     The  long,  thin 


30  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

rosL'-coloiH'd  styles  of  the  pistil  may  he  slaiidiiig 
up  straig'lit  IVoiu  a  vase-like  eoliimii  (tf  slainens, 
the  heads  of  the  })istil  (jiiite  liigh  above  the 
white  anther  fi'inge  at  the  stamen  tops.  Tlie 
blossom  that  has  this  arrangement  is  g'enerally 
deeply  tinted  Avith  rose. 

^owlook  into  a  paler  flower.  There  is  just  a 
beautiful  bouquet  of  dust-eovered  anthers  at  the 
top  of  the  stamen  column,  and  no  pistil  in  sight. 
See  how  much  fuller  and  prettier  these  anthers 
are  than  the  ones  in  the  blossom  with  the  pistil. 
Xow  yon  must  examine  to  see  where  the  pistil 
of  this  flower  is. 

If  you  take  a  fine  pointed  pin  and  open  the 
stamen  tube,  you  will  find  the  I'ed  lines  of  the 
pistil  pushing  up  inside.  If  you  find  an  older 
l^ale  pink  blossom  in  which  the  anthers  have 
already  cast  out  their  creamy  powder,  you  may 
find  the  pistil  towering  higher  than  the  stamens. 
Notice  a  number  of  the  lighter  flowers,  and 
after  a  time  vou  will  see  that  their  pistils  do  not 
grow  up  ready  to  form  seed  until  their  anthers 
have  thrown  away  all  their  pollen.  So  the 
Hollyhock,    with     its    two    seed-making    parts 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  31 

ready  to  work  at  dittereiit  times,  would  have  no 
.«eed  at  all,  if  the  insects  did  not  carry  the  dust 
from  one  blossom  to  the  waiting  pistil  in  another. 

If  3^ou  look  again  at  the  dark  I'ose  flowei's 
you  will  see  that  in  even  the  newest  buds,  the 
pistils  shoot  above  the  stamens,  and  that  the 
anthers  are  always  tiny  things.  The  fact  is 
that  the  anthers  of  these  darker  flowers  do  not 
produce  a  pollen  for  seed,  and  the  j)istil  has  to 
depend  upon  the  bugs  for  its  supply.  This  pol- 
len must,  of  course,  come  from  the  paler  flowers. 
So  you  see  they  fui-nish  all  pollen  foi*  both 
colored  blossoms.  Have  you  noticed  that  these 
fairer  bells  are  larger  than  the  darker  ones? 
Do  you  think  their  size  means  an3^thing?  See 
if  you  can  tell  if  there  is  a  difference  in  the 
amount  of  honey  in  the  two  colors.  Sometimes 
I  think  one  is  sweeter  rhan  the  other;  but  T  am 
not  sure,  so  I  will  not  tell  you  which. 

If  you  wish  to  see  the  difference  between  the 
anthers  of  the  dark  and  the  pale  flowers,  open 
two  buds.  See  how  in  the  light  blossoms  the 
I'ich-colored  anthei'S  croAvd  the  space,  each  one 
kidney-shaped  on  the  top  of  a  tiny  stem.     See 


32  IIAHITS  OK  CALIFORNIA   I'LANTS 

that  ill  the  darker  flower  the  anthers  are  pale 
and  weak.  In  both  flowers,  however,  yon  will 
find  the  stamens  nnited  into  a  tnbe  around  the 
pistil.  If  yon  examine  this  earefnlly,  yon  will 
find  the  tnbe  a  donble  one.  The  outside  layer 
has  its  anthers  grouped  into  five  sets  about 
o])posite  the  petals,  while  the  inner  one  has  its 
anthers  set  regularly  along  its  top. 

In  the  Inid,  too,  you  can  see  how  the  sepals 
fold  together  and  how  they  wear  a  furry  outside 
coat.  Liok  at  their  inner  lining.  Also  notice 
how  they  cling  on  around  the  growing  seed 
after  the  petals  have  first  changed  their  pink 
gowns  for  the  half-mourning  violet  and  then 
have  fallen  away. 

Observe  the  green  leaves  of  the  plant.  See 
how  the  ones  at  the  bottom  of  the  stem  are  not 
cut  so  deep  as  those  at  the  top.  If  yon  spread 
one  of  each  kind  out  flat,  you  will  see  that  they 
are  really  the  same  shape.  Can  you  tell  avIi}' 
they  should  be  cut  differently?  Are  these  two 
kinds  of  leaves  equally  hairy?  Are  the  hairs 
the  same  on  the  up})er  and  lower  faces?  Are 
these  faces  the  same  color?     Have   tlu^    leaves 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  33 

near  the  flowers  as  long"  .stems  as  tlie  ones 
lower  on  the  stem? 

When  you  look  at  the  seed-case  of  the  Holly- 
hock, with  its  cells  nri-anged  like  the  sections  of 
an  orange,  you  are  reminded  of  the  "  cheeses  ^ 
of  that  gai-deu  ])est,  the  Mallow.  In  fact,  the 
iloll^'hock  and  the  ]Mallow  are  own  sistei's,  Ijoth 
members  of  the  JIali'a  family. 

Do  children  to-day  eat  ^' cheeses  "?     AV^hen  I 

was  a    child,  these    seed-cases    foi-med    several 

dishes  ibr  our  dolls'  ])ai-ties.     They  ai-e  so  dented 

for  cultiui;-  that  they  seem  made  on  pui'post'  foi- 

little    people's    pies.       INIy    heart    was    alwa3s 

divided   regai-ding    this    plant.     I   was    grateful 

for  its  cheeses,  l)ut  I  did  hate  to  have 
MALLOW.         ,  .        „  .... 

to  be  continually  weeding  it  from   the 

garden.  If  you  count  the  number  of  seeds  in 
each '"  cheese,"  and  then  notice  the  number  of 
""  cheeses  "  on  each  ])lant,  you  will  ste  how  the 
number  of  weeds  is  possible.  Learn  how  the 
seed-case  divides  and  sends  out  its   seeds. 

The  Mallow's  flower  you  can  study  for  your- 
self and  see  wherein  it  is  like  the  Hollyhock; 
but  the  leaves  have  a  habit  I  would  like  to  call 


MALLOW. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  85 

your  attcMitioii  to.  Xotice  how  they  always 
face  the  snii.  Look  at  one  plant  in  the  morn- 
inn',  then  at  noon,  and  again  at  night.  See  how 
the  leaf  stems  are  of  different  lengths,  so  that 
no  two  leaves  intei'fere  with  each  other's 
warmth.  Take  a  handful  of  leaves,  and  hold 
them  against  your  face.  Do  yon  find  them 
colder  than  other  leaves?  Notice  the  thickness 
and  the  co\ei-ing  of  the  leaves,  and  see  if  these 
have  anything  to  do  witli  their  seeking  the  sun. 

Then  examine  the  leaf  stem.  See  how  it  is 
rounded  except  on  the  side  neai'est  tiie  main 
stalk.  I'here  it  is  flat,  so  as  to  give  the  new 
leaves  a  chance  to  grow  out  from  where  it  joins 
the  stalk.  Notice  that  at  eveiy  one  of  these 
joinings  or  axils  there  is  a  new  branch  })nshing 
out.  It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  leaves 
develop  from  the  tiny  folded  fan  to  the  great 
round  shield.  By  the  way,  those  childi'en  who 
are  used  to  weeding  the  gai'den  know  that  the 
first  two  leaves  the  ^NFallow  sends  overo'i'ound 
are  a  veiy  different  shape  from  any  of  her 
others.     Suppose  you  all  learn  the  difference. 

In  studying    plants,  you  must  pay  attention 


3G  IIAIUTS  nv  fALIFOKXrA   TLAN  rs 

to  the  habits  of  the  leaves  and  steins  and  roots 
as  well  as  to  those  of  the  parts  of  the  flower. 
You  know  that  your  mind  can  woi-k  the  hard 
example:;  best  when  all  your  body  is  perfectly 
well,  when  you  are  free  fi-om  cold  or  toothache 
oi-  any  other  pain.  And  so  the  ])lant,  too,  can 
do  its  woi-k  best  —  can  ])i"oduce  the  best  seed 
—  when  all  its  parts  are  working  healthfully 
together.  As  Lillie  does  not  study  her  geog- 
raphy in  the  same  way  Bert  does,  so  the  ])lants 
vary  in  the  ways  they  divide  their  roots  or 
build  up  their  stems  or  shape  and  can-y  their 
leaves. 

Watch  the  leaves  and  see  how  they  hold 
themselves,  side  up  to  the  sun  or  edge  up,  point 
up  or  sidewise  or  down.  Xotice  if  their  posi- 
tion is  the  same  at  all  times  of  the  day.  See  the 
ones  that  "go  to  sleep,"  and  learn  if  they  take 
their  nap  at  night,  like  you,  or  at  noon.  How- 
ever they  stand  oi-  whatever  they  do,  you  will 
find  some  reason  for  it.  As  you  hunt  up  these 
reasons,  you  will  come  to  feel  that  a  ])lant  is  a 
very  intelligent  creature  in  its  own  business  of 
seed-making. 


CHAPTER  TI. 
Some  Plants  wjth  ATTiiAC'Ti\E  Calyxes. 

A  long  time  ago,  chikli'eii,  you  looked  at  a 
flower  and  some  one  told  jou  that  the  bright 
colored  part  was  called  the  corolla.  At  the 
same  time  you  received  the  idea  that  the  calyx 
was  always  green.  In  many  of  the  blossoms 
you  have  examined,  you  have  found  this  true, 
and  you  have  supposed  it  always  is  so.  Let  us 
see  if  it  is. 

Take  an  Iris  or  Flag  Lily.     You  know  well 

its  rich  coloring  and  its  graceful  form.     If  you 

look    at    a    full    grown  blossom,  you    see    nine 

bright  ijarts,  all  of  Avhich  seem  to  be  petals. 
IRIS.  c      1  1 

There  is  no  sign  of  a  green  calyx,  such  as 

Baby-blue-eyes   wears   all    her  life   and   Poppy 

pushes  off"  when  she  greets  the  sun ;  there  does 

not  seem  to  be  any  pistil ;  and,  at  first  sight,  you 

do  not  see   any  stamens.     Why,   what   an   odd 

flower  this  is!     How  is  it  evei-  going  to  make 

its  seeds? 

37 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  39 

III  the  fii'.st  place,  we  must  know  that  some- 
times the  calyx  of  a  flower  is  not  green.  Now, 
look  at  the  Iris  again.  Those  three  large  parts 
that  are  outside  and  are  the  most  beautifully 
colored  and  marked  are  really  the  calyx.  The 
Iris  is  a  great  lover  of  beauty  and  so  centuries 
ag.o  she  developed  these  gorgeous  sepals  from 
the  plain  green  ones,  just  as  women  to-day  wear 
more  beautiful  gowns  than  the  first  women  of 
the  world  did.  The  next  three  parts  of  the  Iris, 
the  ones  that  first  stand  straight  and  then  curve 
inward,  are  the  petals.  You  see  they  ai-e  not  so 
exquisitely  marked  as  ai-e  the  sepals.  They  do 
not  need  to  be,  as  the  sepals  do  their  work. 
The  three  inner  parts  that  curve  first  outward 
and  then  toward  the  center  are  the  three 
stigmas.  Just  compare  them  with  the  two  little 
round  black  stigmas  that  Baby-blue-eyes  carries, 
and  see  how  much  more  beautiful  tliey  are. 
Xotice  how  the  stigma  divides  into  two  pai'ts  at 
the  top,  just  before  it  takes  the  inward  curve. 
See  the  little  light-colored  shelf  on  the  outside, 
just  below  this  division.  When  you  have  found 
that,  you   have   also    found  the   stamen,   which 


40  HABITS  OF  CALIFOUNIA  PLANTS 

curves  along  the  stigma's  back  and  which  is 
attached  at  the  l)ottoni  to  the  sepal.  The  little 
shelf  of  the  stigma  has  a  sticky  under  surface, 
but  you  can  hardly  see  this  without  a  micro- 
scope. Xo^v  you  have  all  the  parts  and  you 
can  see  easily  how  the  seed  is  foi-med. 

The  sepal  has  all  those  gay  paths  to  lead 
down  to  the  little  lake  of  honey  at  its  base. 
The  large  ant,  or  one  of  its  friends,  journeys 
down  a  path,  hitting  the  shelf  of  the  stigma  as 
he  passes.  As  he  gets  low  on  the  sepal,  he  rubs 
against  the  stamen  that  is  attached  to  it  and 
receives  a  showei"  of  light-coloi-ed  pollen  on  his 
head. 

When  he  goes  into  the  next  Iris,  his  dust- 
covered  head  strikes  the  little  shelf  again  and 
this  time  its  sticky  surface  catches  hold  of  some 
of  the  pollen  and  uses  it  to  make  seed.  As  the 
insect  goes  downward  he  gets  a  new  coating  of 
dust  and  carries  it  to  anothei*  blossom.  You 
can  see  that  a  small  bug  could  pass  in  and 
satisfy  his  hunger  without  tner  touching  the 
stio-ma.  That  is  whv  the  Iris  stores  so  nnich 
nectar  —  that  she  can  feed  many  guests,  hoping 


TTAlilTS  OF  CALIFORNIA  TLANTS  41 

tliaf  one  will  l>e  lar<iX'  (Miongli  to  lie  of  service. 
Do  you  think  the  Iris  can  make  seed  if  the 
insects  do  not  help  her? 

Notice  the  stamens.  See  how  the  anthei's 
open  at  eacli  side  to  discharge  the  j)ollen.  You 
can  easily  open  one  yonrseU'.  If  you  take  a 
blossom  to  ])ieces  carefully,  you  will  see  that  the 
stigmas  rise  from  tlie  seed  vessel  below.  Then 
cut  this  case  open  and  see  the  three  cells 
extending  its  whole  length.  See  how  the  seeds 
are  arranged  in  two  columns  in  each  cell.  Notice 
how  many  cornei's  the  seed-case  lias,  and  which 
is  its  widest  part.  How  does  it  send  its  seeds 
out  when  it  is  time  to  scatter  them? 

Look  at  the  luid  of  the  Iris.  You  see,  if  the 
calyx  has  become  ])etal-like,  the  plant  has  pro- 
vided another  protection.  See  the  inner  lining 
of  this  leaf-like  covering.  Is  it  not  like  the 
finest  white  oiled  silkV  Do  you  think  any 
moisture  can  get  into  the  tiower  thi'ough  this 
wrap?  Aftei"  the  blossom  leaves  this  ])rotecting 
fold,  does  it  live  long?  Does  the  Iris  close  up 
at  night  and  in  bad  weather  as  the  Buttercup 
and  Poppy  do?     Which  lasts  the  longer  when 


42  HAHITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

you  pick  thcin?  Has  this  anything  to  do  with 
their  sleeping  habit? 

Have  yon  noticed  how  the  leaves  are  folded 
over  each  other  and  over  the  stem?  Because 
of  this  habit,  botanists  say  they  are  "  equitant 
leaves,"  which  means  "  leaves  riding  astraddle." 
Yon  can  find  words  that  yon  know  from  the 
same  root  as  '^  eqnitant."  The  leaves,  where 
they  are  folded,  have  the  same  lining  the  flower 
protectors  have.  Why  do  they  stand  so  straight 
and  sword-like,  instead  of  turning  on  their  sides 
to  get  as  much  sunshine  as  possible?  Do  you 
think  the  cows  like  to  eat  them?  Have  you 
noticed  that  the  veins  in  tlie  Ii'is  leaf  all  I'lin 
along  the  length  of  the  leaf,  instead  of  to  a  large 
central  vein,  as  do  those  of  the  Mustard  or 
Hollyhock?  AVhat  other  ])lants  do  you  know 
tiiat  have  this  parallel  veining? 

When  you  have  been  gathering  Iris,  have  you 
sometimes  tugged  very  hard  at  a  leaf  or  flower 
stem  and  still  could  not  get  it  up?  If  you  had 
pulled  half  so  hard  at  a  Popp3^  the  whole  plant 
would  have  been  uprooted.  Dig  down  and 
examine    this    root.     See    also  what   makes  the 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  43 

stem  so  strong.  Does  the  Iris  increase  by  its 
roots  as  well  as  by  seeds?  By  the  way,  if  yon 
plant  Iris  seeds,  will  yon  have  blossoms  the 
first  year? 

The  Iris  was  so  named  by  the  ancients 
becanse  it  is  beantifnlly  colored  like  the  iris  or 
rainbow.  It  has  alwajs  been  a  fiivorite  flower. 
It  is  the  national  flower  of  France,  where  they 
call  it  "Flenr  de  lis.''  Ai'tists  have  always 
delighted  to  reprodnce  it  in  painting  or  archi- 
tectnral  designs.  Yon,  yonrself,  have  drawn 
modifications  of  it  in  yonr  school  drawing  books, 
and  if  yon  look  on  the  covers  of  the  books  in 
the  lil)rary  yon  will  find  designs  made  from  its 
blossom,  leaf,  or  seed-case.  It  gi-ows  native  in 
many  conntries,  and  here  in  California  we  have 
three  species. 

How  many  of  yon  children  know  the  Fritillaria 

or  Checkered  Lily?     It  is  sometimes  called  the 

Mission  Bells  and  again  the  Rice  Koot.     It  is 

bell-shaped,    with   the  calyx  and 
FRITILLARIA.  '      '  ,     ,         f 

coi'olhi  the  same  dark  color    and 

about  the  same  shape.  By  looking  closely  at  it, 
yon  see  that  three  of  the  divisions  are  attached 


FRITILLAKIA. 


IIAlilTS  f)F  OALIFOIJNIA    PLANTS  45 

to  tliL'  stem  farther  out  than  tlie  others,  and  you 
will  know  that  these  arc  the  calyx. 

The  roots  of  the  Fritillaria,  as  one  of  the 
common  names  indicates,  are  worth  looking  at. 
See  if  you  can  leai'u  how  old  a  bulb  is  before  it 
sends  up  a  llower  stalk.  Notice  the  difference 
in  the  leaves.  Does  the  bulb  that  sends  out  the 
l)i'oad  shiny  leaf  early  in  the  spring-  j)roduce 
flowers  that  same  year?  Compare  the  veins  in 
the  Fritillaria's  leaf  with  those  in  the  leaf  of  the 
Iris.     These  two  flowers  are  distantly  related. 

There  is  an  old  legend  that  tells  why  the 
FiMtillai'ia  is  dark-colored  and  has  such  great 
dro})s  of  honey  in  its  cup.  It  is  said  that  before 
Christ  was  ci'ucified  the  Fritillai'ia  Avas  pure 
white  with  blossoms  held  np  to  the  sky.  AVhile 
flesus  was  hanging  on  the  cross,  all  the  flowers 
hung  their  heads  and  wept,  all  })ut  the  proud 
Fritillai'ia,  which  stood  cahnly  erect.  When 
the  Saviour  died,  a  darkness  passed  over  the 
earth.  Then  the  Fi'itillai'ia  suddenly  became 
sorry  for  her  ])ri(le.  She  hung  down  her  bells, 
put  on  gai-ments  of  moui'ning.,  and  shed  tears  of 
sorrow.     She   has   not   ceased  gi'ieving  yet,   for 


46  HABITS  OF   CALirORNIA  PLANTS 

YOU  can  see  for  yourseU'  the  down-turned  l)ells, 
the  sombre  gowns,  and  the  ever-present  tears. 

The  Fritillaria  is  a  member  of  the  Lily  family 
and  you  know  many  of  hei"  sisters,  as  tiie  wild 
Hyacinth,  the  Tiger  Lily,  the  Dog-tooth  Violet, 
the  Avild  Onion,  and  the  Soap  root.  You  will 
find  their  habits  of  seed-maldng  easy  to  observe. 
Most  of  them  have  their  three  sepals  tinted  like 
their  three  petals,  as  in  the  Fritillaria,  but  some, 
as  the  Mariposa  Lily  and  the  Wake  Kobin,  have 
the  calyx  and  corolla  distinctly  different. 

In  noticing  beautiful  calyxes,  you  must  look 

at  Jin  old-time  favorite,  the  Columbine.     I  am 

sm-e  you  all   admire  it,  for  I  have  never  met  a 

person  who  did  not  feel  deli<»-hted 
COLUMBINE.     \  ^    -,.        .       , 

at  tmding  its  haunts.      W  ith  ns  at 

the  sea  level  it  seems  to  prefer  the  shade  of  the 

lower  brush,  but  up  in  the  Sierra  it  masses  itself 

in  such  crowds  in  the  sunshine  that  it  tinges  the 

hillside  red. 

Take  one  blossom  to  examine.     You  see  five 

petal-like  })arts  hanging  downwai-d  in  the  young 

flower   and    spreading    outward    as  it   nurtures. 

These  ai-e  the  sepals.     Knowing  this,  you  can 


HABITS  OF  rALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


47 


ea.sily  guess  that  the  Ww  g-old-ti|)[)t'd  coi  uu- 
copias  tliat  ])()int  iii)war(l  aie  the  petals.  Note 
that  the  golden  l)aii(l  at  the  top  is  varnished 
both  inside  and  out,  while  the  remainder  of  the 


COLUMBINE. 


blossom  is  unpolished.  Would  it  not  be  a  stupid 
bird  or  bee  that  would  not  be  guided  straight 
to  the  honey  glands?  That  there  is  a  good 
supply  of  honey  you  can  see  at  a  glance,  for  in 
the  mature  blossom  the  bottom  of  the  cornucopia 


4,S  HABITS  OF  OALIFOKXIA  PLANTS 

is  a  heavy  bi'own  c'()l()i-  from  the  li(|iii(l  sweets 
inside. 

Kiiowiiiii'  tliat  the  hiimiiiiiiii'  l)ird  admires  red 
flowers,  you  can  see  that  it  will  probably  thrust 
its  long  l)ill  down  the  tubes  and  enjoy  the  nectar 
at  the  bottom.  While  it  is  doing  so,  its  head 
will  rub  against  the  anthers  or  stigmas  and 
carry  away  or  leave  pollen,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Does  the  bee  get  honey  from  the  Columbine? 
Could  not  tiny  insects  crawl  into  the  tube  and 
satisfy  their  appetites  witliout  ever  disturl)iiig 
the  stamens  or  pistils?  You  see  the  Columbine 
has  no  closed  door  to  keep  out  unwelcome 
visitors.  She  simply  waves  a  great  number  of 
stamens  and  several  pistils  and  trusts  that  some 
of  them  will  be  able  to  make  seed.  Have  you 
not  sometimes  found  Columbines  whose  lower 
tubes  were  punctured  with  tiny  holes?  You 
see  that  there  are  rol)bers  in  the  i)lant  and 
animal  worlds  as  well  as  in  the  hnman. 

Notice  the  luunerous  stamens  the  Columbine 
has.  From  the  tiniest  bud  you  can  see  them 
plainly  grouped  around  the  five  pistils.  Look 
at  them  in  the  bud  and  then  in  the  full-l)loomed 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  I'LANTS  49 

flower,  llow  does  the  size  of  tlie  anthers  (liflerV 
From  this  ol^servation,  do  you  think  all  the 
anthers  are  ripe  at  oneeV  Do  you  think  the 
Columbine  eaii  make  her  own  seed  if  outside 
help  fails?  Perha[)s  you  ean  find  out,  if  you 
¥/atch  the  anthers  well.  In  an  older  blossom 
you  can  see  the  five  distinct  pistils.  As  each 
seed-case  matures,  watch  and  see  how  it  opens 
to  let  the  seeds  escape. 

There  is  c^ne  thing'  you  must  observe  well 
al)out  the  Columbine,  and  that  is  how  she  takes 
care  of  the  stamens  and  |)istils.  You  see  that 
she  is  more  careless  than  the  other  flowers  we 
have  studied.  Even  in  the  smallest  buds, 
the  sepals  are  a  little  apai-t  and  let  in  the  heat 
and  cold,  the  rain  and  wind  to  the  precious  seed- 
making  parts.  This  is  one  thing  that  shows  us 
that  the  Columbine  does  not  belong  to  a  high 
family.  Just  as  your  civilized  mamma  takes 
better  care  of  you  than  the  savage  mother  in 
Africa  takes  of  her  children,  so  the  more  highly 
developed  families  of  i)lants  are  more  careful  of 
the  stamens  and  pistils  than  the  lower  tribes  are. 
They  do  not  raise  so  many  stamens  and  pistils, 


LARKSPUK. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS         51 

but  tlicv  tuin  their  ntte'iition  to  inakin<;*  the  few 
they  liave  do  jieiTect  work.  However,  if  the 
Coluinl)ine  is  a  sort  of  savage,  unlearned  in  the 
best  ways  of  making"  seeds,  she  is  extremely 
lovely  to  look  nj)OD ;  and,  as  a  rule,  we  human 
bein<>:s  eare  more  for  the  lieantv  of  flowers  than 
foi'  their  earefnl  habits. 

A  near  relative  of  the  Colum1)ine  is  the  more 
fantastie  shaped  larkspur.  You  see  it,  too,  has 
dipped  its  calyx  in  gorgeous  dyes.     Now  which 

is  the  calyx  and  which  the  corolla? 

LARKSPUR.     .„  f.    .  ^  .„ 

Ji    you  think    a   moment,  you   will 

remembei-  that  the  calyx  is  the  "  cup  "  or  outside 
covering  part  of  the  floAvei*.  Examine  a  bud 
and  a  blossom  and  you  see  that  the  five  velvety 
parts  are  the  outside  gown  or  calyx.  The 
upper  sepal,  you  notice,  has  run  back  into 
a  spur. 

Now  look  for  the  petals.  With  a  i)en  or 
pencil  separate  the  little  hood  that  covers  the 
stamens  and  pistils.  See,  it  falls  back  into  two 
petals.  Just  behind  this  hood  is  an  upright 
part  that  is  very  stiff  when  you  touch  it.  Run 
the  pencil  point  in  the  center,  and  it  divides  into 


52  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

two  ])arts,  each  of  whic-li  extends  hack  into  the 
spurred  sepal  and  at  its  lower  end  forms  an 
inner  tube.  It  is  in  these  two  tuhe  ends  that 
the  honey  is  stored,  and  the  sepal  is  only  an 
outside  covering  to  pi'otect  theuL  Another 
thing  is  to  be  noticed  about  these  two  petals. 
They  are  a  slightly  diiferent  color  from  the  rest 
of  the  floral  envelope,  a  little  lighter.  Thus, 
they  serve  as  a  guide  post  to  the  honey  they 
have  secreted. 

Did  you  ever  touch  a  tougher,  more  unbending 
petal  than  these  two  back  ones  of  the  Laj-kspur? 
With  their  thicknese  and  the  sepal  coat  so 
wrinkly  and  leathery,  do  3^ou  think  insects  can 
l)ite  through  to  steal  the  nectai-V  Have  yon 
ever  found  holes  in  the  Larkspur  tul)eV  The 
two  hood-like  petals  ])rotect  the  stamens  and 
pistils  pretty  well.  You  see  that  they  have 
woolly  tops  that  Avill  cast  aside  the  moisture. 

To  understand  how  the  Larkspur  makes  her 
seed,  you  must  observe  flowei-s  in  ditferent 
stages.  You  will  see  that  the  anthers  ri]:)en  at 
difterent  times.  Xotice  just  where  the  mature 
ones  stand  and  how  they  face.     When  you  have 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  53 

learned  their  position,  compare  an  old  blossom 
with  a  yonng-  one,  and  see  what  is  the  position 
of  the  stigmas  in  each. 

Then  you  can  watch  a  bee  at  work  and  learn 
how  the  pollen  is  carried  about.  Do  you  think 
weak,  thieving  little  insects  can  get  into  the 
honey  tube,  past  the  stiff  petals? 

When  a  tlower  exerts  itself  to  tint  its  usually 
green  parts  a  brilliant  hue,  it  is  sure  to  turn  out 
a  very  beautiful  product,  one  that  we  admii-e  as 
much  as  the  l)irds  and  insects  do.  Probably  the 
blossom's  helpers  care  only  for  the  color,  while 
we  delight  in  the  form  as  well.  If  you  notice 
you  probably  will  find  that  each  flower  that 
wears  a  bright-colored  calyx  and  corolla  at  the 
same  time  has  also  developed  into  a  graceful 
shape.  I  am  not  sure  of  this  point,  but  let  us 
observe  together  and  perha])s  in  a  few  years  we 
will  be  able  to  state  as  a  fact  that  a  beautifully 
colored  calyx  is  found  only  in  a  beautifully 
formed  blossom. 


DUTCHMAX"ts  PIPE. 


CHAPTER  III. 
Some  Plants  without  Corollas. 

l^OAV  that  you  have  seen  that  the  calyx  is 
sometimes  as  gay  as  a  corolla,  you  will  not 
be  surprised  to  learn  that  on  some  plants  it 
does  the  work  of  both  and  no  corolla  at  all  is 
worn. 

How  many  of  you  have  rejoiced  in  the  early 

springtime  at  finding  a  Dutchman's  Pipe?     It 

twines  its  slender  stems  over  shrubs  and  hangs 

out  its  odd,  browny  blossoms 
DUTCHMAN'S  PIPE.     ,    ,.  .         , 

betore     its     leaves     appear. 

Because  the  flowers  are  the  same  color  as  the 

dry  vine,  they  are  not  easy  to  see;  but  once  you 

discover   them,   you   will  laugh  at  their   funny 

shape.     They  look  like  the  pipes  you  have  seen 

Dutchmen  smoking  in  old  pictures.     The  buds 

look  like   funny  little  ducks,  especially  if  you 

put  them  on  the  surface  of  water. 

This  })lant  has  taken  so  much  care  to  make 

this  peculiar  calyx  that  it  has  had  no  energy  left 

56 


56  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

to  spend  on  the  I'est  of  the  tiovver.  It  has  no 
corolla,  and  you  will  see  that  it  has  no  stalks  for 
its  six  anthers,  l)ut  has  joined  them  on  to  the 
style  of  the  pistil. 

Do  you  suppose  insects  are  atti'acted  to  the 
iiower?  Does  it  provide  any  honey?  Does  it 
prefer  to  make  its  own  seed?  See  if  you  find 
any  bug's  or  bees  around  it.  The  common  blue- 
black  butterfly  is  often  found  near  the  vine,  but 
perhaps  it  only  comes  there  to  lay  its  eggs.  Its 
caterpillar  is  very  fond  of  the  pod  the  vine 
ripens,  and  so  it  places  its  eggs  near  it.  If  you 
watch,  you  can  tell  if  the  butterfly  visits  the 
flower  and  helps  it. 

The  leaves  of  the  Dutchman's  Pipe  are  large 
and  heart-shaped;  and  if  you  feel  them,  you  find 
them  covered  Avith  a  soft  fur.  AVhy?  The 
vine  makes  a  graceful  drape  over  the  shrub- 
bery and  protects  delicate  plants  l^elow  from 
too  niucli  sunshine.  Some  sisters  of  this  plant 
are  cultivated  as  shady  vines  for  porches  and 
arbors. 

A  sister  of  the  Dutchman's  Pipe  that  grows 
native  with  us  is  the   Wild  Ginger.      You  will 


WILD   GINGER. 


58  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

find    it    near    shady    streams.     It    is    low    and 

creepino^,     with     i)retty    kidiiey- 

WILD  GINGER.       ,  ,   ,  ,  •  i    ^  • 

shaped   leaves  whieh   give  out  a 

fragrance  if  you  crush  them.     The  flower,  you 

see,  has  no  corolla,  only  a  greenish  purple  calyx 

which  divides  into  three  tail-ti})ped  sepals.     In 

the  bud  these  tails  are  folded  in;  but  when  the 

blossom  opens,  they  pop  far  out  and  give  the 

flower    somewdiat    the   appearance  of  a   spider. 

You  can  examine  the  twelve  stamens  yourself 

and    see  if  they   all    are   erpially   long.     jN^otice 

how  they  turn.     Do  you  find  any  bugs  around 

the  blossom,  or  do  you  think  the  Wild  Ginger 

makes  her  seed  alone?     Notice  how  large  the 

seed   is  and  see  how  the  ])lant  casts  it  out  to 

make  its  own  way  in  the  world.     Notice,  too, 

how  the  roots  come  up  over  the  ground  and  see 

what  is  at  the  ti[)  of  each. 

Those  of  you  who  have  been  to  the  coast  will 

remember    the  Sand   Yerbena,   sometimes   with 

yellow  blossom,  sometimes  with  rose-coloi',  but 

always  with  a  fresh  fragrance. 

SAND  VERBENA.     ^^       ...•-,  •      "         v 

Its  attractive  dress  is  just  its 

calyx,  and  this  is  so  pretty  that  the  jdant  does 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


59 


not  bother  to  put  on  a  corolla.  With  siich  a 
pretty  gown  and  such  an  amount  of  honey,  do 
yon  think  the  Sand  A^erbena  will  be  lonesome 
for  guests?  Which  ones  have  you  seen  visit- 
inof  her? 


SAND  VERBENA, 

You  will  notice  that  the  leaves  of  both  Yer- 
benas  are  not  shaj^ed  alike,  but  you  will  find 
the  leaves  and  stems  of  each  plant  so  gummy 
that  the  sand  around  clings  to  them  wherever 
they  touch  it.     You  can  see  that  the  little  plant, 


60  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

living*  where  the  fierce  seu  winds  teai"  ovei*  the 
beach  so  many  days  a  yeai',  would  l)e  u[)rooted 
and  blown  to  destruction  if  it  had  no  way  of 
anchoring'  itsell'.  That  is  why  it  grow>  low^  and 
glues  the  sand  to  it.  Why  does  it  have  such 
thick  leaves  and  steins?  Have  yon  examined 
the  root?  Yon  might  find  a  new  delicacy  for  a 
dolls'  pai-ty  there,  for  it  is  said  that  the  Indians 
used  to  relish  the  root  of  the  yellow  Sand 
Verbena. 

While  the  A^erl)ena  holds  itself  down  from 
the  cruel  blast,  it  takes  advantage  of  that 
enemy's  power  to  distribute  its  seeds.  You  will 
find  the  seed-cases  winged,  ready  to  sail  ofi'  on 
any  passing  breeze.  See  if  you  can  find  a  baby 
plant  far  oft'  from  any  of  its  relatives. 

Another  plant  that  has  a  pretty  blossom 
without  having  a  corolla  is  one  that  you  all 
know,  the  California  Laurel.     Perhaps  you  call 

it    the    "Bay    Tree"    or 
CALIFORNIA  LAUREL.     ,,  ^    .       „        „         ,,^^ 

Spice  Iree  or  Moun- 
tain Laurel,"  but  I  am  sure  you  have  all  seen  it. 
Watch  the  buds  and  see  how  the  blossoms  are 
])rotected  before  they  come  out  to  the  sunshine. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


61 


When  the  flowers  aj)pear  you  will  find  that 
there  ai'e  no  petals,  only  the  six  yellowy  cream 
sepals  which  shine  like  tiny  stars  among  the 
dark    green    leaves.     You     will     see    that    the 


CALIFORNIA  LAUREL. 


stamens  are  fastened  to  the  tube  of  the  calyx. 
!N"otice  the  three  inner  ones.  See  how  each  has 
on  either  side  of  its  l)ase  an  orange-colored 
gland.  What  do  you  suppose  this  is  for? 
Do  you  think  the    Laurel   is    expecting   visit- 


62  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

ors?  Have  yon  seen  any  accepting  her  hos- 
pitality y 

The  fruit  is  roundish  and  as  it  grows  old  is 
brownish  purple,  something  like  a  ripe  olive. 
In  November  and  December  the  fruit  falls,  and 
the  new  blossoms  appear  shortly  after.  Indeed, 
the  Laurel  has  a  great  desire  to  produce  fruit, 
foi-  even  in  summer  you  can  often  find  some 
waxy  blossoming  clusters  on  the  large  trees. 
The  seeds  start  in  to  gi-ow  soon  after  they  reach 
the  ground.  Dig  up  a  young  tree,  say  one  five 
inches  tall,  and  see  if  the  fruit  is  not  still 
attached  to  the  plant. 

The  new  leaves  of  the  Laurel  are  continually 
appearing.  Sometimes  they  begin  unfolding  in 
winter,  and  as  the  branch  lengthens  out  new 
little  red-tipped  leaves  follow  its  progress. 
They  vary  in  fading,  too.  Sometimes  they 
droop  and  die  in  the  second  year,  and  sometimes 
they  cling  on  until  the  sixth.  Now  they  will 
turn  a  beautiful  gold  and  ftdl  in  their  own 
graceful  slenderness,  and  again  they  will  curl 
up  in  a  brown  mood  of  dryness. 

From  the  leaves  a   valuable   medicinal  oil  is 


HABITS  OF  CALIFOimiA  PLANTS  Cu] 

obtained,  and  they  are  also  used  to  ini|)art  a 
delicious  flavor  to  soups  and  stews.  The  wood 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  we  have  for  interior 
finish  and  cabinet-making.  But  you  and  I  here 
are  most  interested  in  the  Laurel's  beauty  as  a 
Hvinof  creature,  and  I  assure  vou  it  is  a  tree  that 
is  worth  while  trans])lanting  to  our  gardens  and 
making  a  friend  of. 

Do  you  know  the  wild  luickwheat  fomily?  It 
too  has  no  corolhi,  l)ut  it  gets  along  well  with 
its  six  parted  calyx  and   its   plentiful   store  of 

honey.     It  is  so  generous  because 

BUCKWHEAT.     .,        ,-  ^  .  i    ,      ^         ^i 

it  i-eally  must  have  help  irom  the 

insects.  At  first  it  cuddles  its  three  stigmas 
down  in  the  center  of  the  flower  and  holds  the 
nine  anthers  up  high  and  straight.  Then,  when 
all  the  pollen  is  discharged,  it  raises  the  stigmas 
up  erect  where  they  can  be  hit  by  the  passing- 
bee.  Notice  its  dry  stem  and  hardy  leaves  and 
reason  why  it  bears  them  so. 

You  will  find  many  another  flower  that  has  a 
calyx  and  no  corolla  if  you  look  among  the 
weeds  of  your  neighborhood.  The  Dock,  the 
Smart  weed,  the  Pigweed,  the    Wild  Rhubarb, 


^^RI ' 

I 

^^ 

m 

^^^^^^^?^^^ '^^T^^^^^^H 

^^H 

^ 

l^^l^^^l 

^IkmH 

H 

1 

Vh^^^^^^^^^^^^^I 

1 

BUCKWHEAT. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  65 

the  Tumbleweed,  and  the  Four-o'clock  are 
among  the  number.  Learn  how  many  of  them 
have  bright-colored  calyxes  and  how  many  offer 
honey.  See  if  they  produce  a  great  quantity 
of  pollen  and  notice  whether  their  anthers  and 
stigmas  are  ready  to  make  seed  at  the  same 
time.  In  fact,  you  will  find  that  they  have  as 
many  interesting  habits  as  some  of  the  flowers 
that  attract  more  attention  by  their  beautiful 
extra  gowns. 


CHAPTER  TV. 
Some  Plants  with  United  Cokollas. 

Most  of  the  flowers  you  have  .studied  thus  far 
have  had  the  petals  distinct  from  each  other. 
As  you  look  among'  your  ])huit  friends  3'ou  see 
that  all  do  not  form  theii"  hlossoms  so,  but  that 
some  unite  the  divisions  of  the  eorolla  into  one 
piece. 

There  is  the  Manzanita,   with   its  white  and 

pale   pink    flowerets    looking   like    little   waxen 

lamp  chimneys.     They  are  so  full  of  hone}"  that 

even    w^e    dull    moi'tals    can    smell 
MANZANITA.      ,    .     ,. 

then-  irag-rance  at  a  distance;  and 

the  bee,  with  his  more  acute  sense  of  smell, 
comes  from  miles  away  to  sip  theii-  sweets. 
Have  you  examined  the  stamens  oi'  the  Man- 
zanita? You  see  the  anthers  are  made  like  little 
pepper  boxes,  and  when  the  bee  strikes  the 
stamen  the  pollen  is  sprinkled  over  him. 

The  berries  of  this  plant  have  given  it  both 
its  botanical  and  its  common  name.     It  is  called 

66 


IT AEITS  OF  TALirORNIA   PLANTS 


G7 


Arcto><taphylos,  or  '*  bears"'  gTapes/'  because  old 
Bruin  is  so  fond  of  the  fruit,  and  the  Spanish 
Californians  named  it  "  manzanita  "  because  the 
berry  looks  like  a  "  little  apj^le." 


> 

^^ 

1 

^ 

n& 

vj^ 

wk 

Si 

^^ 

r  / 

M 

1 

m 

m^ 

^^^HHK     '^  v% 

M 

^m 

i 

P 

m 

Wi 

I' 

^s 

N 

^ 

w? 

3S^ 

E 

-fr 

1 

/ 

■'I'.' 

MANZAMTA. 


(Photo  hii  W.  S  Jepxon.) 


The  Indians  used  to  eat  the  fruit  raw  or  make 
it  into  a  meal,  as  they  did  the  Buttercup.  Some 
housekeepers  make  a  jelly  and  also  a  vinegar 
and  a  brandy  from  the  berries,  and  from  the 
leaves    they    brew    a    tea   that   remedies    many 


68  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

bowel  troubles.  The  druggists,  too,  use  the 
leaves  to  make  a  cure  for  catarrh  of  the  throat 
or  stomach. 

Have  you  noticed  how  the  Mauzanita  twists 
round  its  leaves  so  that  their  edges  face  the  sky 
instead  of  lying  flat  as  in  most  plants?  There 
is  a  very  good  reason  for  this.  The  sun  shining 
on  the  leaves  helps  the  plant  make  its  food,  but 
at  the  same  time  it  draws  out  moisture.  The 
Mauzanita  wishes  to  store  up  all  its  moisture  for 
the  dry  summer  season,  so  it  not  only  thickens 
its  leaves  but  turns  them  so  that  the  midday  sun 
will  not  strike  them.  The  morning  and  after- 
noon sunshine  will  reach  them  and  give  enough 
warmth  to  keep  u})  the  food  supply.  Not  all 
Manzanitas  twist  their  leaves  so,  but  one  of  the 
most  common  does. 

Look  at  the  bark  of  the  Mauzanita.  Is  it  as 
thick  as  that  of  an  oak  tree  of  the  same  size? 
If  you  have  watched  the  Mauzanita  casting  ofl' 
its  old  coat,  you  will  understand  why  its  outer 
garment  is  thinner  than  the  oak's.  At  what 
season  does  the  Mauzanita  throw  oft'  her  bark? 
Does    it    all    come    off  at    once?     While    it    is 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  69 

peeling,  are  the  more  tender  inner  parts  of  the 
branches  exposed  to  the  aii*,  as  they  would  be  if 
you  cut  off  a  piece  of  the  bark? 

The  Manzanita  belongs  to  a  particularly 
beautiful  family,  the  Heaths.  Some  of  its 
membei-s  ai-e  the  Huckleberry,  the  Azalea,  the 
Salal,  the  Wintergreen,  and  that  handsome  tree, 
the  Madrono.     I  think  you  Avill  agree  with  me 

that  this  tallest  daughter  is  beautiful 

MADRONO.  1.111  ^      -1 

enough  to  shed  gloi-y  on  any  lamily. 

Its  sprays  of  white  bells  are  something  like  the 

Manzanita  chimneys,  only   rounder.     You  will 

see  that  the  top  of  the  corolla   has  five  teeth, 

and  that  the  calyx  is  in  five  parts.     See  how  the 

corolla  incloses  both  the  stamens  and  pistil,  and 

see  if  you  think  the  blossom  fertihzes  itself  or 

attracts  insects   to  its    aid.     What  makes  you 

think  so? 

In  the  late  Fall  you  can  find  the  winter  buds 

that   are   shielding   the  new  leaves  and    flower 

sprays.     If  you  watch,  you  will  be  well  repaid 

by  catching  an  early  glimpse  of  the  l)aby  leaves 

which  come  out  in  the  springtime,  pale  pink  or 

a   tender   green.     Notice    how,    as    they    grow 


MADKUNO. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  71 

sturdy,  the  upper  isurface  iw  glossy  and  dai*k 
green,  while  beneath  they  are  nearly  white. 
They  seem  to  have  a  delight  in  coloi",  for  in 
their  second  summer,  before  they  are  cast  from 
the  tree,  they  bedeck  themselves  in  brilliant 
scarlet  or  orange,  as  if  to  make  an  exit  in  a 
gloi'ious  sunset. 

When  you  ai'e  examining  the  bi'ight  scarlet 
fruit,  you  will  find  it  divided  into  five  cells,  just 
as  you  found  the  flowei'  in  the  spring  having 
five  parts.  Why  do  you  think  the  surface  of 
the  berry  is  so  rough?  Do  you  like  the  taste 
of  it?  When  I  was  a  child,  T  used  to  think  it 
was  a  mixture  of  honey  and  cayenne  pepper. 

As  you  admire  the  ruddy  fruit,  you  will  see 
how  well  the  name  Madrono  tits  it.  "  Madrono  " 
is  the  Spanish  for  strawberiy.  Be  careful  that 
you  do  not  pi'onounce  it  ""  madrona,"  as  some 
Americans  do,  for  that  has  an  alto<*'ether 
different  meaning.  Eveiy  Calilbrnia  child 
should  leai'u  to  pronounce  correctly  the  8])anish 
nancies  that  lingei-  in  our  State,  for  they  are  part 
of  our  history,  Ai'e  you  not  glad  that  so 
musical  a   name   is   attached   to  this   handsome 


72  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

tree?  I  think  \vc  can  safely  state  that  the 
Madrono  is  the  most  beautiful  IS^orth  American 
evergreen  that  has  perfect  flowers.  Its  tall 
straight  trunk,  its  rich-toned  bark,  its  lustrous 
dark  leaves,  its  bell-like  waxen  blossoms,  and 
its  ruddy  berries  make  it  a  joy  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  to  its  close. 

Another  plant  that  bears  a  united  corolla  is 
the  Snowberry.  You  probably  know  it  best  by 
its  fruit.     It  grows  so  many  places  in  the  State 

that    vou   all    must  have   seen  it. 

SNOWBERRY.     .f       "^    i     i  i   fi  i   f     i 

It  you  hold  tile  white   berry  too 

closely  in  your  fingers,  the  outer  skin  breaks 
and  the  inner  softness  oozes  out.  Inside  this 
you  find  two  little  nuts.  Perhaps  you  think 
these  are  the  seeds.  Open  one.  You  see  the 
Snowberry  is  as  careful  of  her  seed  as  the  peach 
or  plum  tree. 

In  the  springtime  examine  the  little  pinkish 
bells  that  make  such  careful  seed-cases.  The 
calyx,  you  find,  has  five  teeth.  Does  it  fall  ofl' 
"wlien  the  seed  is  formed?  The  corolla  some- 
times has  four  lobes  and  sometimes  five.  Open 
one  with  a  pin.     AVhy  do  you  snppose  it  is  so 


SNOWBERRY. 


74  HABITS  OF  CALIFOUNIA    IT-ANTS 

hairy  Avitbin?  Notice  to  what  tlie  stamens  are 
joined,  and  look  at  tlie  pistil.  Do  yoii  think  tlie 
flower  gets  the  insects  to  help  herV 

The  Snow^berrv  is  a  mcmbci-  of  tlie  Honey- 
suckle family.  Some  ol'  hei-  sisters,  as  the 
Honeysuckle,  climl)  o\ei-  otlu'r  ])lants,  while 
others,  as  the  Elder,  i-each  u])  alone  to  the  sky. 
Some  have  their  leaves  folded  around  the  stems, 
while  others  have  theirs  spread  out  and  cut  into 
parts.  They  all  have  an  attractive  iruit,  whether 
it  be  o-leaming  white,  glowing  red,  or  polished 
black. 

Do  3()U  all  know  the  monkey  flower  or 
^Mimnlns?  Jfiuiti//(s  is  Greek  for  "ape,''  so 
that  the  botanical  title  agrees  with  our  common 
name,  although  it  sounds  a  liiHc  more  musical. 
Do  you  think  the  blossom  looks  enough  like  a 
monkey  to  deserve  this  name? 

There  are  ten  different  species  of  Minndus  in 
our  State,  all  herbs  but  one.  This  one  shrub 
you   have   all   seen,   for  it    is   conunon  in    every 

localitv,  and  it  exhibits  some  blossoms 

MIMULUS.      1      .     '  1  .1       P  .1  T 

during  each  montli  ot  the  year,      in 

dift'erent  i)arts  of  the  State,  it  varies  the  coloi-  of 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  75 

these  blossoms  from  red  to  pale  yellow,  but 
the  gown  most  frequently  worn  is  a  bright 
salmon.  The  shrub  grows  sometimes  quite 
tall;  and,  when  covered  with  bloom  in  spring 
and  summer  it  makes  an  ornamental  garden 
plant  that  Europeans  are  glad  to  cultivate. 
Its  leaves  are  so  sticky  that  they  have  earned 
the  plant  its  second  botanical  name,  Gluti- 
710SUS,  which  you  can  easily  guess  means 
''  glue-y." 

Notice  the  tiowers.  You  see  that  the  Mim- 
ulus  does  not  crowd  theui  together  on  the  top 
of  the  stem.  Has  she  need  to,  Avith  such  large, 
showy  blossoms  and  blooming  as  she  does  at  all 
seasons?  Look  at  one  flower.  You  find  the 
green  calyx  bell  with  five  points,  showing  that 
there  are  five  sepals  united  into  this  form. 
From  the  center  of  this  bell  grows  out  the 
funnel-shaped  corolla.  You  see  that  it  has  five 
lobes,  each  of  which  repi'csents  a  separate  petal. 
These  lobes  are  so  ari-anged  that  two  together 
stand  up,  and  three  unite  into  a  lower  platform. 
Botanists  call  these  two  divisions  ""lips,"  and 
the  Avhole  family  to  which  the  Mimulus  belongs, 


YELLOW  SNAPDRAGON. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS         77 

a  very  iiiiiiierous  one  indeed,  is  said  to  be  l)ila- 
biate  or  two-lipped. 

When  yon  glanee  into  the  blossom  of  the 
Mimnlns  yon  see  at  onee  the  two  white  shiny 
divisions  of  the  stig'ina  spreading  ontward. 
Tonch  them  with  yonr  finger  and  see  how 
qnickly  they  fold  together.  When  they  are 
closed  yon  see  below  the  fonr  stamens.  Then 
at  once  yon  think  yon  know  how  the  Mimnlns 
accomplishes  her  seed-making.  The  insect 
alights  on  the  thi-ee-lobed  platform,  and  he  finds 
two  ridges  leading  from  it  doAvn  the  throat  of 
the  corolla  to  the  honey  glands.  As  he  starts 
down  one,  he  hits  the  large  lobes  of  the  stigma 
and  they  take  off  what  pollen  he  has  bi'onght. 
As  they  close  immediately,  he  passes  down  to 
his  meal  and  jostles  the  stamens  as  he  goes. 
Then  the  anthers  open  and  ponr  their  dnst  on 
him,  to  have  it  cari'ied  to  another  Mimnlns. 

This  sonnds  ver}'  reasonable,  but  yon  may  be 
mistaken.  You  cannot  jndge  one  flower  by 
what  yon  have  observed  in  others  —  not  wholly. 
Yon  would  better  watch  the  Mimnlns  and  see 
what  does  help  it.     If  a  small  bug  visits  her,  he 


78  IIAIUTS  OF  TALIFOKXIA  PLANTS 

can  easily  '^lip  in  and  ont  without  ever  moving 
tlie  stamens  or  stigma.  Could  a  bee  force  itself 
down  the  long  narrow  tube,  or  unroll  its  tongue 
far  enough  to  reach  the  dishes  of  nectar? 
Watch  the  hunuuing  bird.  It  is  one  of  the 
greatest  helj^ers  of  flowers.  Its  long  tongue 
could  touch  the  bottom  of  the  tube;  but  the 
luunming  bird  is  not  supposed  to  care  nuicli  for 
yellow  flowers.  It  would  gladly  help  the  Mim- 
ulus  when  she  wears  a  red  gown.  Does  it  visit 
her  when  she  dons  yellow?  If  you  observe  this 
well,  you  may  be  of  assistance  to  science. 

Another  common  Mimulus  is  the  yellow  one 
which  gi'ows  in  marshy  spots,  and  which  holds 
its  lips  so  close  together  that  it  is  often  called 

"  Sna])dragon."       Its    yellow    is 

SNAPDRAGON.      .,,..,,        av  ^    ^  i 

dotted  with  reddish   brown,  and 

it  has   a  fence  of  fine  hairs  to  keep  the  small 

insects    from    getting     into     its    throat.        Its 

leaves,    you     will     notice,    are    quite    difterent 

from    those    of   the    sticky    Mimulus,    and    its 

stalk    has    an    individual    way    of  sending    out 

new  roots. 

The  lar^-er  family  of  Avhich  the  Mimulus  is  a 


TTAI'.ITfi  OF  r'ALfFORNIA   PLANTS  70 

meniln'r   is   the    l^crojihiiJariavece   so  iinined  be- 
cause  it   was  supposed  to  be  useful   in  curing 

scrofula,  and  to  this  family 
SCROPHULARIACE^E.     ,     ,  ,  . 

belong    a    number    ol    oui" 

prettiest  wild  flowers.     The  Indian  Paint  Brush, 


SNAPDRAGON. 


the  Indian  AVarrior,  the  Owd's  Clover,  the 
Pentstemon,  the  gay  Collinsia,  the  useful  Bee 
Plant,  and  the  delicate  Speedwell  are  known  to 
most  of  you.  You  see  they  are  all  quite  differ- 
ent in  appearance  from  the  Mimulus  and  from 


80 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


each  other;  but  if  you  examine  a  blossom  of 
each  kind  yon  will  Hnd  that,  however  fantastic 
the  corolhi  seems,  it  is  leall}^  two-hpped.  They 
have    different   arraniienients   of  their   stamens 


A 

1 

Lr/^^^ 

J 

iJl^ 

w 

W^ 

INDIAN  PAINT  BRUSH  (SCROPHULARIACE^). 

and    pistils;    but    their    seed-case   has   always 
two  cells. 

Their   seed-cases    help   to    distinguish    them 
from  another  two-lipped  family,  the  Mint,  which 


MINT  FAMILY. 


82  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

has  its  st'C'd-case    separated    into    four    nutlets. 

The  Mint   family  has   another   striking- 
MINTS.  .  / 

(litterence.     Kul)  voui'   nn<i"ei's  alon<?'  its 

stem.      You   both   feel   and   see   that    it   is  foui- 

eornered,  instead  of  being  smoothed  down  like 

those    of    most     ])lants.     You    know     tluit     the 

common   Mint  is   Iragrant.     So  are  most  of  its 

sisters,    and    the    majority    of  them   are    useful 

to  man. 

The    eree[)ing     little    Yei-ba    l^uena,     besides 

being  a  good  medicine,  has  been  conneeted  with 

the    history    of    our    State.       Because    of    its 

i)resc'nce   on   the    hills   near   the 
YERBA  BUENA.     ,,  ^.     ,       i. 

joay  or  San  i^  rancisco,  the  city 

of  San  Francisco  was  first  named  Verba  Buena. 

It  remained  so  until   January,    1847,  when  the 

name    was  changed    by    order   of    the   Alcalde. 

Much  as   we  love  the  tiny  vine,  San  Francisco 

seems  a   fitter  name  for  our  metropolis,  and  it 

seems   odd  to  read  the  newsj)aper  of  that  day 

and  see  that  it  grumbled   at  the  change.     The 

island  in  the  Bay  that  is  sometimes  called  Goat 

Island  is  also  named   Yerba  Buena.     Have  you 

noticed  how  the  Yerba  Buena  manages  to  cover 


VKKJiA  BUENA. 


84  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

SO  much  groiiiul?  See  liow  it  somls  d<»wii  IVcsh 
rootlets  from  the  stem  and  <^eis  new  strength 
IVom  ]Mothei"  Earth  every  tew  inches. 

You   have  all   heard   of  the   market   value  of 
^' white  sage   honey,"    and   many    of  you    have 


WFTTTR   SA(iE. 


tasted  its  quality;  but  have  you  thought  of  the 

flower  that  makes  it  possible  for 

WHITE  SAGE.  ^  .  ,        ,  ..     ^, 

us  to  enjoy  such  a  luxury.-^      Ihe 

Sages    are    prominent    membei's    of    the    Mint 

family.       Thronghout    the    State    the    smaller 


HAlilTS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  85 

herbfs  grow,  hot  the  sbi-ubs  that  reward  the  bees 
mofst  generously  flourish  best  on  the  hillsides  of 
Southern  California. 

The  AVhite  Sage  seems  to  wait  just  for  the 
bees.  It  sends  its  two  stamens  and  the  top  of 
its  pistil  far  out  beyond  its  corolla,  so  that  no 
small  insect,  if  he  came  to  visit  the  blossom, 
would  touch  them.  Then,  to  be  sure  that  no 
tiny  creatures  will  get  in  and  feast  without  an 
exchange  of  l^enefits,  it  folds  up  its  lower  lip  as 
a  door  and  places  a  regiment  of  hairy  guards  in 
its  tube.  AVhen  tlie  l)ee  comes,  he  opens  the 
folded  lip;  and,  so  as  to  get  a  sure  footing  while 
he  reaches  his  tongue  into  the  dish,  he  throws 
his  two  legs  over  the  two  stamens.  This 
action  draws  the  stamens  near  his  l)ody  and 
the  authei's  throw  their  pollen  on  his  sides. 
Then,  wlien  he  goes  to  an  older  blossom,  where 
the  stigma  is  ready  to  make  seed,  it  catches 
hold  of  some  of  this  dust.  The  bee  gets  abund- 
ant payment  for  his  service,  and  we  profit  by 
his  labor. 

A  smaller  Sage  Avhich  grows  throughout  the 
State,   and  which    has    crowded    rings    of  blue 


CHIA. 

Showing  Leaves. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFOUNIA  I'LANTS 


87 


flowers  arouiul  its  stem,  has  a  seed  that   is  very 

uourishin**-.     The  Indians  ealled  it  *'  Chia," 

CHIA.  ,  ,   ^         ^   .     ,  1      •.   •    , 

and  used  to  eat  it  dry,  or  make  it  into  a 

gruel,  or  add  it  to  water  for  a  relVeshing  drink. 
They  said  tliat  one 
tablespoonf'ul  of  these 
seeds  was  sufheient 
food  for  an  Indian  for 
a  day  when  on  a  foreed 
march  when  lie  could 
not  carry  heavy  foods. 
This  is  a  good  thing 
foi'  us  to  know.  Some- 
times w  h  e  11  we  get 
h  u  n  g  V  y  away  from 
home,  we  can  help  our- 
selves from  the  little 
gray  tables  the  Chia 
sets  beside  the  I'oad- 
way. 

A  m  o  11  g  oui-  wild 
Mowers  you  will  tind 
many  other  s  p  e  c  i  c  s 
that     unite     llicir    petals    into    a    solid    coi-olla. 


CHIA 

Shdwiiijf  t'l(i\v<  r  llcails 


88  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

Botanists  think  that  this  shows  a  higher  phmt 
family.  Do  you  think  a  corolla  of  one  piece 
can  be  seen  by  the  insects  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance than  one  made  of  sepai-ate  petals?  Which 
kind  of  blossom  do  you  find  holds  the  most 
honey  y  Which  has  the  greater  number  of 
stamens  and  pistils?  Which  i-ipens  the  most 
seeds?  Which  has  the  best  means  of  getting 
its  seeds  scattered  over  the  earth?  After  all, 
the  plant  that  knows  how  to  make  the  best  seed 
and  how  to  get  this  seed  well  stai-ted  in  a  new 
life  is  the  most  successful  plant  in  its  own  work, 
whether  its  corolla  be  in  one  piece  or  in  many 
petals. 


CHAPTER  \. 

SoMP]  Plaxts  with  Mechaxtcal  Poavkrs. 

AVhat  child   in  California  does   not   know  the 

Lni)ine,  with  its  ])right  j)lnmes  waving  from  the 

sea  sands  to  the  Sierra'n rocks?     There  is  not  a 

month  in   the  year  when  yon   cannot 

LUPINE,    ^.    ,       ,.        ;  .^    ,  ,  ,    , 

hnd  a  few  ot  its  blossoms,  whether 
they  be  bine,  pnrple,  yellow,  or  white,  or 
Avhether  they  cnddle  close  to  the  Eai-th's  ])osom 
or  stand  np  boldly  to  grace  the  landscape.  Some 
invite  visitors  from  afar  by  messages  of  their 
strong  fragrance;  others  wait  rpiietly  in  their 
pretty  dresses,  hoping  their  color  will  please  the 
passer-by. 

N^otice  that  the  Lnpine  masses  a  great  nnm- 
ber  of  her  flowers  aronnd  the  top  of  the  stalk, 
and  together  they  make  a  dash  of  color  that 
attracts  not  only  our  eyes  but  the  eyes  of 
insects.  If  the  Lupine  had  as  few  blossoms  on 
a  stalk  as  Baby-blue-eyes  has,  she  would  be 
lonesome  quite  often.     Then,  too,  the  stalk  of 

89 


LUPIXE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  \}[ 

many  Howers,  each  ri])L'iiiiii4-  a  little  later  than 
the  others,  lasts  many  more  days  than  one 
blossom  wonld,  and  so  iias  a  double  ehanee  of 
reeeiving  eallers.  Yon  mig-ht  observe  that  the 
different  Lnpines  arrange  theii"  flowers  aronnd 
the  stalk  in  ditierent  ways,  and  see  which  way 
you  think  makes  the  prettiest  eliect. 

Take  one  little  blossom  otl'  the  stem.  Yon 
see  that  it  is  like  the  pea  flower.  The  Lupines 
are  members  of  the  Pea  family,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  in  the  world.  It  is  called 
the  P<ii)ili<)H(i(r(i\  or  bntterHy  family,  becansc 
of  the  sha|)e  of  its  Mowers.  Let  ns  look  at  a 
flower  together.  The  hairy  calyx  does  not  vary 
mnch  from  others  yon  have  examined.  The 
corolla,  however,  is  diffei'ent.  Each  part  has  its 
own  name,  and  this  is  true  of  the  Avhole  JYa 
family.  The  larger  petal  that  f)lds  over  the 
others  in  the  l)nd  and  then  throws  its  edges 
l)ackward  as  the  Hower  opens  is  called  the 
l)annei-.  Yon  sec  it  is  the  pi'oininent  part.  The 
two  side  ])etals  are  called  wings.  When  yon 
open  the  wings,  yon  find  inside  a  cnrved  jjetal 
part  that  will  remind  you  of  the  keel  of  an  old- 


92  HABITS  OF  CALIFOKNIA   PLANTS 

fashioned  Ijoat.  Because  of  this  likeness,  this 
part  is  called  the  keel.  If  you  look  at  the  lower 
})art  of  the  keel,  you  will  find  that  it  is  made  of 
two  petals  that  have  joined  their  top  edg'es  to 
hettei"  protect  the  pistil  and  stamens.  You  can 
easily  take  the  two  apart,  and  when  you  do, 
yon  Avill  find  up  in  the  tip  of  the  keel  a  goodly 
store  of  rich  orange  pollen. 

We  must  study  the  ten  stamens  to  see  how  it 
got  there.  Yon  see  that  they  are  united  at  their 
lower  j)art  around  the  lower  ])ai't  of  the  pistil, 
and  that  some  are  taller  than  others.  Xow  look 
at  the  anthers  of  the  taller  ones.  See  that  they 
are  roundish  knobs,  while  the  anthers  of  the 
short  stamens  are  long  and  narrow.  If  you 
open  a  bud  you  will  find  the  stamens  in  it  about 
the  same  height,  but  the  anthers  will  still  be 
different.  As  the  blossom  grows,  the  stamens 
with  the  ball-like  anthers  rise  up  tall  and  pack 
the  orange  dust  in  the  top  of  the  keel.  If  you 
wish  to  see  why  they  i)ut  it  there,  just  move  the 
lower  part  of  the  wings  with  your  finger  or  a 
])in.  See  how  a  little  lump  of  pollen  sj)urts  out. 
That  is  what  happens  when  Mr.  Bee  alights  on 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  93 

the  wings  and  fiimbles  around.  The  bee  is 
very  fond  of  the  pollen  of  the  Lupine  and  packs 
what  he  ean  in  his  Uttle  baskets,  l)ut  some  of  it 
always  catches  on  his  head  and  l)aek. 

If  you  have  noticed  the  pistil,  you  have  seen 
that  it  grows  out  of  the  keel  when  the  flower 
ripens.  As  soon  as  the  banner  stands  erect,  the 
pollen  is  ready  to  be  discharged,  but  the  stigma 
of  the  pistil  is  not  ready  to  receive  pollen  for 
some  time.  If  you  work  the  keel,  you  will  see 
that  when  the  bee  is  trying  to  get  the  pollen, 
the  pistil  must  hit  him  first.  If  it  is  ready  to 
make  seed,  it  will  take  the  dust  on  his  head  that 
he  has  lirought  from  another  flower.  The 
Lupine  secures  most  of  her  seed  in  this  in- 
genious fashion.  Is  she  not  a  skilful  engineer? 
If  a  bee  does  not  happen  along  when  the  stigma 
is  ready  for  seed-making,  she  can  use  the  pollen 
of  her  own  blossom. 

The  seed-case  of  the  Lupine,  you  know,  is 
like  a  pea  pod,  or  legume.  Indeed,  the  lai-ger 
family  to  which  the  butterfly  fomily  belongs  is 
called  Leguminosoi,  because  of  its  seed-cases. 
The  Lupine  has  a  mechanical  plan  for  scattering 


94  HABITS  OF   rALlFOPvXTA   PLANTS 

its  seeds,  just  as  it  lias  for  di-oppiiiii-  its  pollen. 
Watch  a  di\v  pod  and  see  how  it  works. 

The  leaves  of  the  Lupine  are  carved  into  a 
number  of  leaflets.  This  ^ives  less  surface 
than  if  thej  were  all  solid  leaf.  The  Lupine 
does  not  Avant  too  much  leaf  sui-face,  because 
she  does  not  Avish  the  leaves  to  send  out  her 
moisture  under  the  sun's  strong  i-ays.  That  is 
why  the  leaves  are  generallj'  so  well  coated 
with  silvery  hairs.  These  haii-s  reflect  the  light 
and  do  not  let  so  much  get  to  the  leaf.  Then, 
too,  the  leaflets  fold  together  at  noonday  so  as 
to  get  less  light.     Watch  them. 

Because  the  Lupine  is  so  fond  of  moisture, 
she  sends  her  roots  down  sometimes  twenty  feet 
to  seek  a  damp  layer  of  soil.  This  habit  has 
made  it  possible  for  us  to  have  our  beautiful 
Golden  Gate  Park.  All  that  part  of  the  San 
Francisco  peninsula  used  to  be  sandhills,  and 
the  sand  shifted  so  with  every  w^ind  that  no 
trees  would  grow.  Some  one  discovered  the 
Lupine's  manner  of  rooting  and  the  sandhills 
were  covered  with  little  Lupine  plants,  with 
barley  seed   scattei-ed    in  between    them.     The 


IIAUITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  '.),-) 

barley  grew  rapidly  and  held  the  surface  sand 
from  blowing  away.  By  the  time  the  barley 
died,  the  Lupines  had  sent  their  roots  deep  and 
could  brace  themselves  against  the  Avind  and 
could  hold  the  sand  with  them.  Then  trees 
were  planted,  and  in  a  few  yeai's  the  l)are  sand- 
hills Avere  transformed  into  the  place  of  beaut}" 
Ave  are  so  proud  of.  The  name  "'  Lupine  ''  comes 
from  the  Latin  Avord  that  means  "  Avolf,"  and  it 
was  so  called  by  the  ancient  l)otanists  because 
of  its  root,  Avhich,  they  said,  "devours  the  soil." 
Do  you  think  it  does? 

The  Lupine  has  many  sisters  roamina"  over 
the  State.  ThcA^  all  have  some  mechanical 
device  for  making  insects  carry  their  pollen  oi- 
foi-  scattering  their  seeds.  One  that  lives  Avell 
in  the  dry  season  because  of  its  deep 
roots  IS  the  Alialta.  The  tmy  l)los- 
som,  yon  see,  is  buttei-fly-shaped.  Being  so 
small,  it  does  not  trust  to  its  appearance  to 
attract  insects,  but  sets  out  some  honey.  This 
can  only  be  reached  through  tAvo  little  dooi-s  on 
the  upper  side  of  the  wings.  When  the  insect 
reaches  in  his  tongue  for  the  honey,  it  separates 


96 


HABITS  OF  CALIFOllNIA  PLANTS 


parts  of  the  wings, 
and  these  cause  the 
pistil  and  stamens 
to  jump  up  like  a 
Jack-in-the-box  and 
hit  the  tongue.  The 
bees  and  the  butter- 
flies do  not  hke  this 
I'ude  treatment,  and 
they  have  learned  a 
way  of  putting-  in 
their  tongnes  from 
the  lower  side  of  the 
flower  and  seeui'ing 
the  sweets  without 
receiving  the  blow. 
^^'^■^^^^^-  So  Miss  Alfalfa,  be- 

cause she  is  impohte,  does  not  get  the  aid  she 
desires.  Take  a  pin  and  imitate  the  bee's  tongue 
and  see  what  happens  to  the  wings  and  keel 
after  the  stamens  and  pistil  deliver  the  stroke. 

T*^otice  how  the  Alfalfa  legume  is  coiled. 
How  do  you  think  it  travels  and  how  does  it 
dischargre  its  seeds? 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  97 

The  Alfalfa  is  not  a  native  of  California.  It 
was  born  in  Media,  in  Sonthwestern  Asia,  and 
from  its  birthplace  received  its  botanical  name 
of  MediccKjo.  It  was  cultivated  in  Cxreece  sev- 
eral centuries  before  Christ  was  born,  '^fhiuk 
how  long-  ago  that  is!  It  traveled  to  S])aiii  and 
then  through  Mexico  to  our  State.  You  know 
what  a,  good  forage  plant  it  is,  and  in  South 
America  it  is  found  useful  in  another  way. 
Sprays  of  it  are  hung  in  the  houses  to  banish 
the  fleas. 

Another  interesting  plant  that  came  with  the 

Spaniards  is  the  lUir  Clover.     It,  too,  was  born 

in   Asia   and   crossed   over   to    Spain   with    the 

Moors.     From  thence  it  ti'aveled  through  Mexico 

to    us.     Its    tiny    yellow    flowers 
BUR  CLOVER.  /    ,      ,.  , 

store  a  great  deal  oi   honey;   but 

the  insect  to  get  it  stands  outside  and  thrusts  in 

his  tongue.     Then  the  pistil  and  stamen  act  as 

rudely  as  do  those  of  the  Alfalfa,  and  the  force 

of  the  blow   changes   this   flower's   shape  also. 

The  wise  insects  treat  it  as  they  do  the  Alfalfli 

by   stealing  its   honey   from   its    base    and    not 

approaching  its  mouth. 


BUR  C'L<:)VER. 


TTABITS  OF  CALIFOKNrA  PLANTS  '.);) 

The  seed-case  o."  the  Bur  Clo\  er  is  interesting. 
You  will  find  it  first  a  little  pod  like  that  of  a 
pea,  but  with  two  vows  of  teeth  on  one  edge. 
Then  the  ])()d  takes  one  little  twist  and  then 
another  and  anothei-,  until  finally  it  is  the  little 
])i-iclvly  coil  that  catches  in  our  clothes  and  that 
can  be  unwound  into  a  corkscrew  shape.  By 
clinging  to  a  passing  body  the  bur  is  carried 
away  from  the  mother  plant. 

When  the  bui'  is  drop|)ed  in  the  dust,  it 
behaves  difierently  from  most  seed-cases.  As 
it  dries,  it  holds  close  around  the  seeds  and 
does  not  let  them  out.  AVhen  the  I'ain  falls,  the 
little  burs  o^et  anchoi'cd  in  the  eai'th,  and  the 
seeds  start  growing  inside  the  l)ur.  They  send 
out  roots  below  and  stem  and  leaves  abf)ve, 
while  they  lie  snug  in  the  warm  l)ed.  Plant  a 
bur  in  a  box  and  watch  how  it  gi'ows. 

In  the  A¥ild  Pea  you  will  find  the  stigma 
different  from  those  of  these  other  members  of 
its  family.  You  see  it  is  a  little  hair}^  bunch, 
and   it  brushes   out  the   pollen    to    the   insects. 


100  HABITS  OF  CALIFORXI A   PLANTS 

Ai'c  tlu'  staiiu'us  ;irraiiy-ed  as  in  tlu' 
WILD  PEA.     ^       .      ..,     ^.     .         ,      ; 

Lupine r     Notice  the  leaf.     Are  the 

leaflets  attached  to  tlic  stem  in  the  same  way  as 

those  of  either  the  AHalla  or  the  Liii)iiie?     Ijook 


WILD   PEA. 


at  the  tendrils  at  the  toj)  of  the  leaves.  Do 
they  all  twist  in  the  same  direction?  Has  the 
sun  anything  to  do  with  the  way  they  turn? 
Does  the  Wild  Pea  grow  in  shady  places  where 
it  needs  the  tendrils  to  help  it  up  to  the  sun- 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  101 

shine,  or  does  it  rest  on  its  neighboi'S  because  it 
is  too  indolent  to  stand  alone? 

These  ai-e  only  a  few  members  of  the  Pea 
family.  The  Clovers,  the  Rattleweed,  the  Lotus 
are  creeping  on  the  roadside,  and  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  cultivated  ftowei-s  belong  to  this 
sisterhood.  You  will  find  each  one  different 
and  each  one  wonderful  in  its  devices  to  best 
accomplish  its  life  work. 

Another  plant  that  came  with  the  Spaniards 
from  Europe  and  that  has  a  mechanical  working 
seed-case   is  the    Filarce.      By   the    way    it    has 

climbed  fi'oni  the  sea  to  the  mouiUains, 

FILAREE.  .,     .  •    V,        • 

you  can  see  that  it  likes  its  new  iiome. 

Its  name,  Filaree,  is  the  shortened  term  for  the 

Spanish   Alfilerilla,   which    means    '■  a    needle." 

Can  you  tell  wliy  they  called  it  this?     The  way 

the  little  magenta  flower  makes  its  seed  3011  can 

easily  study  for  yourself. 

AVhen  the  petals  drop  off,  the  fivi'  little  ])istils 

start    in    and    gi'ow   until    they    are    al)out    two 

inches  long.     Perhaps  you  call  them  "  clocks,'' 

and  find   out  "if  yoiii-  mother  wants  you"  from 

their  unwinding.     The  green  pistils  form  good 


102  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

dolls'  .scissors,  if  you  put   oue  l)ill  through  the 
other. 

The    qualities    that    make    these    seeds    good 
playthings   for   children    are    what   the    mothci 


FILAKEE  —  ALFILEKILLA 

plant  has  developed  to  get  them  well  started  in 
a  new  life.  Some  warm  day  in  April  or  May 
the  dried  fruits  give  themselves  a  twist  and  fly 
off  the  stems.  Some,  as  they  fly,  are  caught  by 
the  wind  by  the  long  silky  hairs  that  you  see  on 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  103 

the  end.  Others  fall  to  the  ground.  Now,  if 
you  notice  the  lowei-  part  of  the  seed-case  you 
will  find  that  it  has  on  the  end  a  little  hook  and 
on  its  sides  little  bristles  that  curve  upward 
and  outward.  You  know  they  often  stick  in 
your  clothes  as  you  pass  and  you  carry  them  to 
new  fields,  or  perhaps  a  sheep  performs  the 
same  service. 

When  the  seed-case  falls  to  the  ground,  if  it 
be  warm  weather,  it  curls  its  parts;  when  fog  or 
dew  falls,  it  straightens  them  out;  with  more 
sunshine  it  curls  up  again.  By  doing  this  over 
and  over  again,  the  seeds  screw  themselves 
down  under  the  earth  and  are  ready  to  spring- 
up  into  new  plants  as  soon  as  the  early  rains 
fall.  You  can  see  how  the  seed-case  works  if 
you  put  one  in  water  and  then  in  the  sunshine. 

The  Filai-ee  is  a  member  of  the  Geiriniacea', 
or  Geranium,  family.  Gerankim  comes  from 
the  Greek  meaning  "  crane's,"  and  refers  to  the 
seed-case,  like  a  crane's  bill.  The  Filaree's  own 
botanical  name,  Erodiwn,  is  from  the  Greek  for 
""  heron,"  and  is  also  called  so  because  its  seed- 
case  resembles  a  heron's  bill.     If  you  watch  the 


JOHNN  Y- JTJMP-UP. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  10') 

seed-cases  of  two  of  the  Filaree's  sisters,  the 
Crane's  Bill  and  the  Oxahs,  you  will  find  that 
they  too  have  mechanical  genius. 

Ill  noticing-  seed-cases  that  have  this  engin- 
eering power,  do  not  forget  to  watch  that  of  our 
large    yellow   violet,    the   Johnny-jump-up.     If 

there  be  one  wild  flower  that 

JOHNNY-JUMP-UP.     .     ,        n   1       .,      1  1    ^^ 

IS   loved  by   the   boys   better 

than  another,  I  am  sure  it  is  the  Johnny-jump- 
up.  Girls  love  it,  too,  l)ut  they  have  other  fav- 
orites; while  every  boy  I  have  known,  whether 
his  age  was  seven  oi-  seventy,  seems  to  have  a 
tender  place  in  his  heart  for  this  sunny-faced 
beauty.  Perhaps  it  is  because  they  used  to 
play  "  fights"  with  the  blossoms,  by  locking  two 
heads  and  pulling  until  one  or  the  other  was 
decapitated.  Then,  too,  we  used  them  in  the 
same  way  to  see  if  our  companions  "truly 
loved "  us.  We  named  them  for  two  friends 
and  the  one  Avho  remained  victor  in  the  fight 
was  the  one  whose  affection  could  be  depended 
upon.  Probably  you  children  to-day  have  wiser 
methods  of  testing  your  friendships,  and  love 
the  Johnny-jump-up  simply  for  its  own  sake. 


106  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS 

Yoli  have  noticed  that  the  two  upper  petals 
are  a  rich  brown  on  the  outer  side  and  pure 
gold  on  the  inner,  with  delicate  veinings  leading 
down  to  the  flower's  center.  The  three  low^er 
petals  have  dark  pui'])k'  lines,  which,  you  know, 
ai'c  honey  paths.  Jf  you  pull  out  one  of  the 
side  petals,  you  will  Hud  that  the  honey  ])aths 
are  only  on  one  half  of  it,  while  on  the  other 
half,  a  little  above  where  it  joins  the  rest  of  the 
flower,  is  a  brush  of  fine  yellow  hairs.  Then,  if 
you  look  again  at  a  perfect  flower,  you  will  see 
that  the  tw^o  little  brushes  on  the  two  side  petals 
form  an  arch  over  the  pi-ecious  pistil  and 
stamens  and  keej)  out  any  moisture  that  might 
tend  to  harm  them.  Now  look  at  the  lowest 
petal  of  all.  See  how  it  curves  up  just  in  front 
of  the  pistil,  making  a  little  platform,  and  then 
narrows  down  behind  and  loops  itself  around 
into  a  little  hood.  If  you  pull  off' this  petal,  you 
will  find  within  its  hood  what  the  insect  is 
seeking. 

Take  a  complete  flower  again  and  notice  that 
the  round  green  top  of  the  pistil  is  lying  close 
down  on  the  platform  of  the  broad  petal.     You 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  107 

see  nothing  can  get  to  the  honey  without  touch- 
ing first  its  sticky  surface.  In  the  entire  flower 
you  see  a  spot  of  red  above  the  green  stigma. 
Look  at  the  bhjssom  you  have  been  picking 
to  |)ieces  and  see  that  this  is  part  of  the 
ring  of  stamens  that  encircles  the  pistil.  You 
can  easily  divide  the  ring  into  five  stamens. 
I*^otice  that  the  two  just  above  the  largest 
petal  have  an  additional  growth  that  the  others 
lack.  Where  does  it  project  and  what  is  it 
for? 

The  bee  gets  a  good  footing  on  the  brushes 
of  the  side  petals  and  then  unwinds  his  long 
tongue  and  pushes  it  undei*  the  club  of  the 
l)istil  and  back  into  the  honey  safe.  While 
he  is  wiping  it  around,  the  anthers  drop  their 
pollen  upon  it.  Then,  when  he  goes  to  the 
next-door  Johnny-jump-up,  his  dust-covered 
tongue  touches  the  stigma  and  it  grasps  the 
pollen  it  needs  for  seed-making.  In  spite  of 
the  fact  that  it  has  few  insect  visitors,  Johnny- 
jump-up  manages  to  jjroduce  a  gi-eat  quantity 
of  seed.  By  watching  the  workings  of  its 
seed-case,    you    will    learn    how   a    hillside    be- 


108  HABITS  UF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

comes  covered  with  the  yellow  blossoms  in  a 
few  years. 

Even  if  thei'e  was  a  total  loss  of  seed  one 
year  Ave  would  still  have  some  Johmiy-jump-ups 
the  next,  for  the  plant  does  not  die  when  blos- 
soms and  leaves  entirely  disappear  from  the 
surface  of  the  earth.  The  rootstock  below 
g-round  is  still  stron""  and  is  waitini?-  for  the 
early  rains  before  it  sends  up  new  leaves.  You 
will  find  it  a  tough  root,  and  the  stem  of  the 
plant,  too,  has  an  unexpected  strength.  If  you 
break  the  stem,  you  see  an  inner  column  that 
seems  to  be  separate  from  the  outer  covering. 
Twine  this  innei'  part  and  you  see  the  different 
fibres  that  bundle  together  to  make  the  stem  so 
strong. 

The  Johnny-jump-ui)  has  eight  sisters,  natives 
of  Califoi-nia.  They  wear  differently  colored 
gowns,  blue,  purple,  yellow,  or  white,  and  differ 
in  their  leaves  and  stems  or  markings,  but  they 
all  have  the  same  device  for  seed  making  and 
the  same  Avay  of  scattering  their  seeds.  The 
cultivated  violet  and  the  gorgeous  pansy,  too, 
as  you  might  guess,  are  members  of  Johnny's 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  101) 

fiimily,  the  Violacece,  and  from  watching  those 
domestic  rehitives  you  may  become  familiar  with 
the  whole  kin. 

Yon  will  Hnd  that  most  plants  that  display 
any  engineering  ability  use  it  either  in  getting 
their  pollen  exchanged  or  in  distributing  their 
seeds.  Watch  the  seed-cases  of  all  the  plants 
around  you  and  see  which  exhibit  any  mechan- 
ical power. 


CHAPrEK  Yl. 

Some  Plants    wfth    Neighborly    Blossoms. 

If  yon  recall  tlie  ])laiits  you  have  Ixm'II  used  to 
all  your  lives,  you  will  I'eiueiuber  that  they  liaye 
different  Avays  of  g'i'ou])ino'  their  tlowers.  The 
Trillium  has  but  one  l)lossoni  on  each  stem  that 
rises  from  the  rootstock;  the  Iris  has  several, 
although  they  generally  bloom  out  at  different 
times;  the  Lupine  has  a  great  number  ari-anged 
around  the  to]:)  of  its  stalk,  with  many  of  them 
in  bloom  at  once.  If  you  think  over  the  others, 
the  Baby-blue-eyes,  the  Poppy,  the  Mallow,  the 
Mint,  and  so  on  down  the  list  we  have  consid- 
ered, you  can  ])lace  them  in  one  of  these  three 
classes.  You  have  learned  that  ])lants  in  gen- 
eral arrange  their  blossoms  so  as  to  get  aid  in 
their  seed-making  and  that  each  family  has  its 
own  special  way  of  accomplishing  this  object. 
To-day  we  wish  to  obsei've  some  plants  that 
have  developed  other  Avays  of  gi'ouping  their 
flowers. 

Ill 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  113 

Do  jou  know  the  "  Yellow  Mats  "  or  "  Foot- 
steps of  Spring  "  that  rush  out  after  the  eai'liest 
rains  of  the  New  Year  and  paint  the  hillsides 

12 old?     If  you  do  not  have  it  in 

UMBELLIFER^.     "  .   .    .,  ,      , 

your  viemity,  you   surely  have 

the  Wild  Carrot  or  the  Celei-y,  the  Fennel  or 

the  Cow  Parsnip.     All  of  these  belong  to  the 

same  family,  and  any  one  of  them  will  serve  to 

study  the  arrangement  of  the  blossoms. 

Pick  a  Hower  stalk  and  notice  how  the  tiny 
tlorets  have  stems  of  different  lengths,  so  that 
theii-  edges  coming  together  form  an  umbrella- 
shaped  cluster.  This  habit  gives  the  family  its 
botanical  name,  Umbel  life  rce,  which  you  can 
easily  understand.  You  will  find  that  the  large 
complete  umbel  is  made  up  of  several  smaller 
ones.  This  mass  of  bloom,  which  is  generally 
white  or  yellow,  attracts  a  great  number  of 
insects,  both  large  and  small.  You  will  find  the 
honey  spread  out  in  the  center  of  the  little 
blossoms  so  that  any  visitor  can  dine.  The 
Umbellifei-fv  are  not  at  all  I'cserved  and  receive 
the  commonest  of  beetles  and  flies  and  bugs. 

Examine  well  the  difterent  florets  and  see  just 


UMBELLIFEK.E-COW  PARSNfP. 

(Photo  by  W.  S.Jepsoii.) 


HABITS  OV  CALIFORNIA  TLANTS  115 

how  mnnv  nre  alike.  You  Avijl  find  that  the 
TTmbclhferfP,  unlike  the  Golnmbine,  have  only  a 
lew  stamens  and  a  two  eelled  pistil.  See  if  the 
anthers  and  the  stigmas  both  mature  in  the  same 
fioret.  If  they  do,  are  they  ripe  at  the  same 
time? 

]VIany  of  this  family  look  very  much  alike, 
and  the  chief  way  of  distinguishiug  the  speeies 
is  by  their  fruit.  Take  a  little  seed-ease  in  your 
hand.  Xotiee  how  readily  it  separates  into  two 
parts,  each  eontaining  one  seed.  Observe  the 
ribs  that  extend  the  length  of  the  ease.  See  if 
in  these  deep  I'ibs  you  can  find  fainter  ones.  Is 
there  not  a  sweet  fragrance  about  the  seed-case? 
Cut  it  across  and  you  will  see  lir.es  of  little  dots. 
These  are  the  oil  tubes  that  you  have  laid  open. 
Do  they  run  the  same  w^ay  as  the  i'il)s  or  across 
them;  on  the  I'ibs  or  between  them?  This  oil  is 
what  makes  the  seeds  aromatic,  and  fi-om  this 
family  we  get  our  fragi-ant  Caraway,  Dill, 
Fennel,  Coriander,  and  Anise  seeds.  Some  of 
the  family  are  poisonous,  so  you  would  better 
not  taste  any  of  the  seeds  you  are  not  positive 
are  harmless.     The  seeds   of  the  Wild  Carrot 


l\C,  HABITS  OF  r.U.IForiNIA  PLANTS 

earn  the  Spanish  Californian  name  for  \hv  })1ant, 
Yerha  fie  hi  ]'ihor(i  ( viper  lici'b),  ])ecanse  they 
furnish  a  cure  for  tlie  l)ite  of  the  rattlesnake. 

When  the  seeds  are  ripe,  notice  the  different 
modes  they  have  of  getting  carried  around  tlie 
world.  The  Yellow  Mats  has  little  hooks  that 
attach  themselves  perhaps  to  your  clothes,  per- 
haps to  Fido's  coat,  and  insure  a  journey  away 
from  their  native  heath.  See  what  the  Coav 
Parsnip  and  the  Wild  Carrot  substitute  in  place 
of  the  hooks. 

The  Umbellifertp  have  hollow  stems,  with 
little  grooves  running  up  and  down  them.  Has 
the  stem  any  joints  in  its  central  column?  Did 
you  ever  break  off  a  stem?  Does  it  come  off  a 
clean  even  break?  Is  it  eas3-  or  hard  to  bi-eak 
off?     Why? 

Look  at  the  leaves.  They  are  cut  into  many 
divisions.  Some  of  them,  as  the  Parsley,  we 
use  on  our  tallies.  Xotice  how  the  leaf  stalk 
flattens  out  and  clings  around  the  stem.  This 
leaf  stalk  is  what  we  eat  in  the  cultivated  celery. 
Have  you  observed  the  little  bundle  of  leaves 
around  the  bottom  of  each   main    flower   stalk 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  117 

and  the  tinier  bnndle  aronnd  each  branching 
llower  stem?  Do  either  of  these  bundles  of 
leaves  look  like  those  lower  down  on  the  plant 
and  do  they  look  like  each  other? 

The  roots  of  the  Umbellifera^  yon  may  know 
better  on  the  table  than  in  the  ground.  The 
Carrot  and  the  Parsnip  are  good  examples. 
How  long  does  it  take  the  plant  to  raise  a 
parsnip  for  yonr  dinner?  How  many  can  each 
plant  develop  ? 

The  Uml)elliferae  family  is  a  lai-ge  one,  there 
being  about  thirteen  hundred  members  known 
to  man.  A  great  number  are  edible,  others  are 
fragrant,  and  a  few  poisonous.  So  that,  while 
we  find  interest  in  the  family's  intelligent 
manner  of  massing  its  flowers  for  its  own  pur- 
pose, at  the  same  time  we  are  much  indebted  to 
it  for  its  supplies  to  our  needs. 

A  family  that  is  even  more  intelligent  in 
making  its  seeds  than  the  Umbelliferae  is  the 
Compositjc.  This  is  the  very  largest  of  flower 
families  in  the  world.  You  meet  many  of  its 
members  on  any  walk  you  take.  The  Sunflower, 
the  Aster,  the  Dandelion,  the  Thistle,  the  Gum- 


118  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  I'LANTS 

l)lant,  the  Goldenrod,  the  Everlasting,  the 
Tidytips,  the  Sunshine,  the  Brassl)uttons,  and 
the  Cockle  bur,  as  well  as  many  others,  are  well 
known  to  yon  by  sight.  Have  30U  ever 
examined  them  to  l)ecome  l)etter  acquainted? 

They  all  have  a  multitude  of  little  flowers 
crowded  together  so  as  to  form  one  head,  and 
the    commonest    have    some    gay    coloi-ed    rays 

encircling  the  bottom  of  this  head, 

TIDYTIPS.      ,.,  ,,  ,,,  ,        , 

like  a  collar,      lake  almost  anyone 

to  exan)ine.     I  am  looking  at   a  Tidytips.     The 

rays  are  large,  yellow  with  white  tips,  and  have 

thi'ee  notches  in  the  top  edge.      If  yon  })ull  off 

one  of  the  rays,  you  will  find  it  a  tubular  flower, 

but    without    any    stamens  oi-   ])istils.     Its    only 

work  is  to  be  beautiful  nnd  to  attract  insects  to 

the  seed-making  flowers  within. 

^ow  look  at  the  head.     You  Hud  it  com])osed 

of  perhaps  hundreds  of  little  tu1)u]ar  florets,  in 

three   distinct   stages   of  development.     In  the 

center  ai'e  the  buds  that  have  not  yet  opened. 

Then  there  are  sevei'al   rows  where  the  flowei" 

has  opened  and    from   its   gi-acefnl    five-pointed 

tube  a  dai'k  column  is  pi-ojecting.      This  is  made 


HABI'l'S  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  119 

of  the  anthers,  wliich  have  joined  together 
aronnd  the  top  of  the  i)istil.  Then  there  is  the 
tliird  stage,  nearest  the  rays.  Here  you  iind 
the  live-pointed  petal  tube  and  the  chirk  anther 
eoluinn,  l)ut  through  the  head  of  the  eokinm 
have  l)ran(hed  out  two  stieky  stigmas.  You 
can  easily  see  them  extending,  one  on  either 
side,  Avaiting  for  the  visiting  bug  to  bring  pollen 
from  a  neighboring  head. 

You  see  the  outer  flowers  mature  tirst. 
When  the  anthers  are  ripe,  they  diseharge  their 
pollen  inside  the  column  they  foi'in.  Then  the 
pistil  sends  up  lhe  stigmas;  and,  as  they  seek 
the  lights  they  push  before  them  the  pollen  until 
it  falls  outside  and  is  carried  ofl^'  l)y  some  enter- 
prising insect  that  has  been  attracted  by  the 
bright  rays. 

When  the  outer  florets  have  lost  their  pollen, 
tlie  insects  crawl  over  them  to  the  next  row; 
and,  in  doing  so,  strike  the  stigmas.  This  way 
of  ripening  the  tiny  blossoms  at  diflerent  times 
generally  secures  cross-fertilization,  or  the 
getting  of  pollen  from  a  diflerent  head.  How- 
ever, if  outside  help  fails,  the  Composita^  makes 


COMPOS  IT^  —  L  AYIA. 


HABITS  OF  OALIFORXIA  PLANTS  121 

its  seed  by  itself.  Thv,  inner  antliei's  east  out 
their  jwllen  wlien  the  onter  stigmas  are  ready 
to  make  seed,  and  some  of  it  mnst  fall  upon 
them. 

When  you  pull  out  one  of  the  florets,  you 
find  that  the  calyx  is  not  like  the  calyxes  you 
are  used  to.  Its  lower  part  is  grown  close  and 
tight  to  the  bottom  of  the  pistil  and  its  upper 
part  is  divided  into  lunnerous  silky  bristles, 
which  are  called  "  ])a])pus."  You  know  how^ 
they  stay  on  when  the  corolla  fades  and  how 
they  help  the  seeds  to  float  away  on  each  passing 
breeze.  They  make  it  hard  to  keep  the  Milk- 
weed, the  Old  Man  of  Spring,  and  the  Dandelion 
out  of  our  lawns. 

While  this  pappus  calyx  is  common  to  the 
Compositse,  all  the  corollas  are  not  tul)ular  like 
that  of  the  Tidytips.  Some  have  all  the  florets 
shaped  like  rays;  that  is,  they  are  flattened  tubes 
with  the  petal  grown  Inrge  on  one  side.  Look 
at  the  Milkweed  for  this  class  or  at  the  Dande- 
lion. These  all  have  milky  juice  and  most  of 
them  close  in  the  afternoon.  Another  group,  a 
smaller  one,  has  its  corollas  two-lipped  like  the 


SUNSHINE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  123 

Mint.  However,  the  luajority  of  our  native 
ComjDOsita'  have  tubular  eoi'oUas. 

All  of  them  have  a  gi-eat  uuml)ei'  of  little 
leaflets  folded  outside  the  rays  or  head,  as  a 
ealyx  is  usuall}^  around  a  sing'le  flower.  These 
form  what  is  called  an  "  involuere."  They  not 
only  ])rotect  the  flower  head  from  cold  and 
moisture,  but  they  make  a  strong  wall  through 
which  thieving  insects  cannot  cut  to  get  the 
honey  of  the  coi'ollas. 

Among  our  Californian  Composita'  many  ui'e 

useful  to  man,  especially  in   making  medicines. 

The  yellow  flowered  Gi'indelia  or  liesin-weed  is 

the  most  ini])ortant.     It  blooms  in 

GRINDELIA.       ,  .  ,  •      ,      i 

the  summei'-tune,  and  covers  its  bud 

with  some  milky-looking  resin,  so  that  the  sun 
will  not  l)urn  it  up.  Long  before  the  whites 
entered  the  state,  the  Indians  used  to  boil  the 
CTrindelia  and  use  the  tea  as  a  cure  for  lung  ^ 
troubles  and  for  skin  diseases.  It  was  consid- 
ered especially  good  for  ])oison  oak.  To-day 
we  gather  the  tops  of  the  branches  where  the 
gum  is  ke[)t  for  the  flowi  r  buds,  and  shi[)  tons 
of  them   East   each  yeai'.      U'hese  are  made  into 


CtHIXDELIA. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  125 

the  medicine  "  Grindelia ''  and  sent  back  to  oiir 
drug  stores.  When  you  children  grow  up,  one 
of  you  boys  or  girls  might  start  a  business  right 
here  at  home  of  making  medicines  from  our 
California  plants. 


COMT'ASS   P^LOWEE. 


The  Compass  plant,  which  looks  very  much 
like  a  snnflower,  also  gives  ns  valuable  medi- 
cines.    It  usually  has  but  one  large  iiower   at 

the  top  of  a  stalk,  while  the 
COMPASS  PLANT.     ,  '     ^ 

true  Sunflower  has  numerous 

bhjssoms  near   the  stem's   summit.     Its  leaves 


SUNSHINE. 


IIAEITS  OF  r'ALIP^ORNIA  PLANTS  \-)~ 

too,  are  different.  From  these  leaves  it  "ains 
its  name  of  "  Compass  plant."  The  edges  of 
the  leaves  always  point  north  and  south,  so  if 
you  ever  get  lost  in  summertime,  just  hunt  up 
one  of  tliese  ])huits  and  ask  it  to  dii-ect  you 
home.     They  are  quite  plentiful. 

A  Compositie  that  the  Spanish  Californians 
liked  is   the  Sunshine.     It   comes  early  in  the 
springtime,  lyiug  close  to  the  ground  and  gild- 
ins;  the  hillsides.     Its  center  cone  is 
SUNSHINE.        - 

made  up  oi  many  little  golden  blos- 
soms closely  packed  together  and  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  from  ten  to  fourteen  rays  of  the 
same  shade  of  gold.  The  Sunshine  is  very 
fragrant  and  draws  many  insects.  One  that 
comes  to  it  in  some  localities  is  a  small  fly  that 
likes  its  pollen.  This  fly  does  not  confine  its 
attentions  to  the  flowers,  but  annoys  the  horses 
and  cattle  in  the  vicinity.  Some  people,  dis- 
liking the  fly,  extend  their  dislike  to  the  flower 
that  gives  it  food,  and  call  the  Sunshine  the  Fly 
Flower. 

The  Spanish    Californians    used    to    call    the 
Sunshine    Si  me  qnieres,   no  me  quieres,  which 


12<S  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

means  in  English  "  T^ove  nie,  love  me  not."" 
The}'  named  it  this  l)ecause  they  used  to  tell 
their  fortunes  on  its  i-ays,  as  we  do  with  the 
Marguerite.  In  the  deck  of  cards  in  those  early 
days  of  California,  the  Jacdv  of  Spades  always 
lield  a  Si  7ne  quieres,  no  me  quieres  blossom  in 
his  hand. 

As  far  as  seed-making'  goes,  the  Compositae 
is  the  highest  i-anked  of  the  flower  families. 
By  the  blossoms  living  close  together  the}'  are 
able  to  co-o[)erate  in  their  efforts  and  accomi)lish 
better  results  than  a  blossom  living  alone  would 
be  likely  to  do.  Just  as  people  living  in  cities 
do  not  have  to  de])end  upon  their  own  hands  for 
so  much  of  their  living  as  those  who  reside  far 
away  from  any  town,  so  the  flowci'S  that  li\  e  in 
a  crowded  comnnuiit}'  do  not  need  to  exert 
themselves  so  nuich  as  it'  each  swung  on  a  stem 
bv  itself. 


CHAPTER  YII. 
Some  Plants  avitii  Co-opei^ative  Blossoms. 

All  the  plants  we  have  considered  thus  far 
have  had  theii-  seed-making-  parts,  their  pistils 
and  stamens,  in  the  one  blossom.  Perhaps  you 
think  all  flowers  do  so.  Let  iis  see  if  that 
be  true. 

You  all  know  the  Chilicothe,  or  AVild  Cucum- 
ber, altlioug-h  perhaps  you  have  not  paid  much 
attention    to    its    Howers.     Look  at   them  now. 

You  Avill  find  two  different  kinds 
CHILICOTHE.       ,.  ,  ,  ,       ,  ,    ., 

of   blossoms  on  each  plant,  and  it 

takes  both  these  kinds  working  together  to 
make  a  seed.  The  white  flowers  that  grow  in 
clusters,  and  that  ai'e  probaldy  the  only  ones 
you  have  noticed,  have  stamens  and  produce  a 
^reat  amount  of  pollen;  but  they  have  no  stigma 
to  put  it  on.  You  see  that  they  could  not  make 
a  seed  alone. 

If  you  look  farther  down  on  the  vine  you  w^ill 
find  a  little  flower,  all  alone,  cuddled  close  to 

129 


lyu 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


the  stem.  You  will  see  below  the  white  petals 
a  little  bur,  and  above,  a  sticky  knob  of  a  stigma 
waiting  to  hold  fast  any  pollen  the  wind  may 
bring:  it  from  the  clustered  blossoms. 


CHILICOTHE. 


As  yet  we  do  not  know  that  insects  can-y  the 
Chilicothe''s  pollen,  but  if  only  the  wind  visits  it, 
the  Chilicothe  is  wasting  time  to  don  her  white 
dress.  See  if  yon  can  discover  any  insects 
helping  her. 

The  Chilicothe  has  learned  that  it'  one  tlower 


IIAUITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  l3l 

attend  to  one  bi-aneh  of  the  seed-making  and 
another  flower  attend  to  the  other  branch,  she 
will  make  Ijetter  seeds  than  if  one  flower  does 
all  the  work.  For  this  same  reason  your  mother 
buys  the  flour  to  make  her  bread,  instead  of 
raising  wheat  herself  and  grinding  it  up,  as  our 
great-great-grandmothers  used  to  do.  W3 
peoj)le  have  learned  that  by  dividing  up  parts  of 
the  work,  all  can  have  more  time  to  rest  and 
play;  and  so,  too,  have  many  of  the  ])lants 
learned  to  save  laboi'  in  their  seed-making. 

You  know  what  a  successful  seed-maker  the 
Chilicothe  is.  You  have  watched  the  large 
])rickly  seed-case  divide  and  curl  back  its  sec- 
tions like  white  Avaxen  lily  petals,  disclosing  a 
l)eautil'nl  lace-like  box  holding  the  polished 
seeds.  The  Spanish  Californian  children  used 
these  hard  seeds  for  marbles,  and  many  girls 
to-day  use  them  for  '•  jackstones." 

You  know  what  a  skilful  climber  the  Chili- 
cothe is,  but  have  you  noticed  how  it  gets  up  in 
the  world?  The  little  tAvisted  tendrils  are  really 
branches  that  the  vine  has  made  into  climbers 
to  help  it  reach  the  sun.     The  tendril,  at  fii'st, 


132  HABITS  OF   CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

is  straight  as  it  pushes  its  way  up  to  find  some- 
thing to  cHng  to.  When  it  gets  hold  of  a 
branc-h  or  something  similar,  it  coils  for  two 
reason-  —  to  bring  the  plant  nearer  the  sup- 
port and  to  have  a  stronger  hold  in  case  of 
storm. 

Some  of  you  call  the  Chilicothe  ^'  Big  Root," 
or  ''Man-in-the-ground,"  because  of  its  inmiense 
root.  Do  you  know  why  the  plant  stores  up  so 
much  l"ood  underground?  Just  to  be  ready  for 
oTowino-  when  the  next  season  comes.  That 
is  why  the  Chilicothe  can  send  up  young  plants 
on  time,  even  if  there  be  no  rain  to  give  them  a 
fresh  di'irik.  AVhen  we  see  how  the  vine  covers 
np  many  unsightly  stumps  and  fence  corners 
and  how  it  di-apes  itself  gracefully  over  many  a 
thicket,  we  i-ejoice  that  it  has  such  thrifty  habits 
of  pro\iding  for  the  future. 

While  the  Chilicothe  has  developed  two  kinds 
of  blossoms  for  the  separate  parts  of  the  seed- 
making,  she  has  kept  both  kinds  on  the  same 
plant.  Some  plants  divide  the  work  further 
than  that.  They  have  only  flowers  with  stamens 
on  one  plant,  and  those  with  pistils  on  another, 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  133 

just  as  some  mills  make  only  flour  while  others 

make  only  breakfast  foods. 

Suppose  you  study  the  Willow's  seed-making 

as  a  type  of  the  plant's  highest  division  of  labor. 

In  the  late  fall  the  trees  stand  bare  of  leaves. 

After    the    early    rains,    brown    buds 
WILLOW. 

appeal",   arranged    diagonally  up   and 

down  the  stem.     These  buds  swell  lai-ger  and 

larger,  and  some  warm  day  the  brown  overeoat 

is  slipped  off  and  soft  gi'ay  pussies  come  cree])ing 

up  the  bi'anch.     Even  the  botanists  call   these 

"  catkins,"  and  surely    nothing  could    be   moi'e 

kitten-like  than  they  when  they  first  burst  out. 

In  a  few  days,  on  certain  trees,  Ijunches  of 
yellow  stamens  spring  out  from  the  midst  of  the 
gray  fur,  and  the  catkin  becomes  a  yellow  tassel, 
waving  with  eveiy  passing  wind.  If  von  ex- 
amine one  of  these  catkins,  you  will  tind  that  its 
fur  is  made  of  tiny  gray  scales,  ove]'lap])ing 
each  other  as  the  scales  of  a  fish  do.  From 
under  the  base  of  each  scale  grow  the  stamens, 
and  as  they  push  upward,  they  fluff'  up  the  scale 
and  make  its  fuzzy  top  soft  looking. 

Besides    the    stamens,    there    is   under  eveiy 


PUSSY  WILLOW. 


IIAHITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  135 

scale  a  droj)  of*  nectar  so  delicious  that  far-off 
colonies  of  bees  make  a  rush  to  revel  in  it.  As 
they  sip  the  honey  and  gather  the  pollen  into 
their  baskets,  they  get  their  legs  and  sides 
''  powdered  Avith  gold."  Kow  the  question  for 
you  is,  ^Mieie  are  they  going  to  put  the  pollen 
to  help  the  Willow  make  seed?  In  tiie  catkin 
you  looked  at,  there  were  only  stamens;  no 
petals,  no  sei)als,  and,  more  important  than  all, 
no  pistils.  If  you  examine  another  fi-oni  the 
same  tree,  you  will  find  the  same  result.  In- 
deed, no  catkin  on  the  whole  tree  Avill  have  any 
pai-t  of  a  Hower  but  the  stamens. 

If  you  look  around,  you  Avill  see  another 
Willow  Avhose  catkins  have  turned  green  instead 
of  yelloAV.  Examine  one  of  them.  The  gray 
scales  are  the  same;  the  honey  dro])  is  there, 
too;  but  instead  of  stamens,  there  are  pistils, 
each  with  two  moist  stigmas  ready  to  catch  the 
pollen  the  bee  or  the  wind  brings.  Xow  you 
see  why  the  AVillow  produces  pollen  so  lavishly 
and  secretes  such  sweet  honey.  She  must  have 
the  aid  of  the  Avind  or  the  insects  or  she  can 
never  make    seed.     By   having  a   large  amount 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

of  pollen,  the  wind  can  waste  some  and  still  get 
some  to  the  waiting  pistils. 

AVhen  the  pistil  ri})ens,  it  divides  in  two  and 
the  seeds,  eaeh  with  a  tintty  attachment,  go 
sailing  ott'  in  the  air.  Yon  have  seen  many  of 
them.  Some  fall  in  the  creek  and  the  iinff 
keeps  them  Jilioat  nntil  they  ai-e  landed  some- 
where down  sti-eam;  or  perhaps  they  are  carried 
ont  to  sea  and  finally  cast  np  on  a  new  coast. 

Notice  the  Willow's  leaves  in  antumn.  You 
know  that  they  turn  yellow  and  brown  and  then 
are  scattered  over  the  ground.  We  nsually  say 
"the  leaves  fall,"  but  that  is  not  true.  The  tree 
casts  them  away.  When  the  leaf  is  so  worn 
out  that  it  cannot  work  much  longer,  the  tree 
absorbs  all  its  good  material  and  gradually 
closes  n])  the  tnbes  leading  to  it.  As  it  shuts 
the  last  little  dooi-,  the  leaf  is  cast  off  from  its 
home  and  is  at  the  mercy  of  Avind  and  weather. 
If  you  examine  the  spot  on  the  twig  from  which 
the  leaf  is  shed,  yon  will  find  that  there  is  no 
opening  through  Avhich  the  sap  coidd  escape. 
There  would  be  if  the  leaf  toi'e  itself  away  from 
the  tree.     ]N^otice  it  for  yourself  in  the  fall  days, 


HABITS  OF  CALTFORNIA  PLANTS  137 

when  the  varirms  trees  ai-e  eastiiii?-  aside  tlieir 
worn-out  garments.  Notice  the  difterenee  be- 
tween a  sti'ong  leaf  and  one  jiisl  ready  to  l)e 
disearded,  not  only  in  the  It'af  textuiv  Init  in  the 
attaelnuent  to  the  tree.  Ti-ees  wliose  leaves  arc 
cast  oft' in  the  antnnni  are  called  "deciduous."' 

A  deciduous  tree  that  has  hal)its  vei-y  similar 
to  those  of  the  Willow  is  the  Poplar  or  Cotton- 
wood. Indeed,  it  is  the  \\'lll()w''s  own  sister. 
Their  family  name  is  SallcactHP,  which  i-efers  to 
their  habit  of  living-  "  near  water."  The 
Willow's  botanical  title  is  Salix,  which,  you  can 
guess,  means  the  same  as  the  family  name.  The 
Cottonwood's  scientific  name  is  Popiihis^  and  it 
received  this  title  l)ecause  the  tree  was  tha 
common  one,  the  ti'ce  of  the  people,  in  old 
Rome. 

We  have  two  Cottonwoods,  the  connnon,  or 

I^op/fJ/fs  FremontI,  which  grows  in  the  valleys 

and  in  the  Coast  Range,  and  the  PopHlus  fri- 

cJiocarpa  of  the  Sierras.     "  Ti'i- 
COTTONWOOD.       ,  „         ,  „ ,,     .       . 

chocarpa       only     means       iruit 

divided  into  three  valves."  You  can  tell  your- 
self what  Fremonti  indicates. 


1^8 


HABITS  OF  CALIP^OKNIA   PLANTS 


The  Popiiliis  Frcmoiiti  has  its  leaves  broader 
than  ]onpr  and  green  ahke  on  both  sides,  but  the 
ti'it'hocarpa  has  leaves  that  are  longer  than  wide 
and  that  are  dark  green  above  and  silvery  or 


^%*^<^^'$^' 


COTTOXWUUU. 


rusty  beneath.  They  both  have  seal}'  Inids, 
whieh  yon  can  find  on  the  ti'ees  in  the  fall.  As 
they  grow  larger,  break  one  open  and  see  how 
the  baby  leaves  ai-e  tncked  in  this  eradle. 

The  Cottonwoods  flower  as  the  WilloAv  does. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  139 

with  stainiiiate  catkins  on  one  tree  and  pistillate 
ones  on  another.  These  tassels  come  ont  betbi-e 
the  leaves,  so  you  will  have  a  <^ood  chance  to 
view  them.  Most  of  these  trees  which  need  the 
wind's  aid  to  scatter  their  pollen  hang  out  their 
blossoms  before  the  leaves  come  to  be  in  the 
way. 

On  the  Cottonwood  catkin,  you  will  find  many 
stamens,  perhaps  sixty  or  eighty,  crowded  on 
the  surface  of  a  little  disk.  As  soon  as  the 
dark  red  anthers  open,  a  great  cloud  of  golden 
pollen  is  cari-ied  otf.  Some  of  this  will  surely 
reach  the  pistils  waiting  on  the  next  tree. 
When  the  pollen  is  all  discharged,  the  stami- 
nate  catkin  falls  to  the  ground.  The  pistillate 
ri23ens  its  great  number  of  seeds,  each  with  long- 
silvery  hairs  to  help  it  sail  away.  You  will  be 
interested  to  see  just  how  the  seeds  are  attached 
to  the  catkin. 

Up  in  the  Sierras,  there  is  anothei'  Populus, 
tremuloides,  which  is  commonly  called  the 
shaking  aspen.  Its  roundish  leaves  tremble  in 
an  uncomfortable  Avay  even  when  the  air  seems 
still.     They  have  a  trembling  aspen  in  Europe 


ALDER -HI.OSSOMS   AND   rPPKU   STEM. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  141 

wliicb,  they  say,  was  as  quit't  as  other  trees  until 
the  Saviour  was  erucilied,  but  since  that  awful 
night  it  has  always  shaken  in  horror  at  the 
deed.  1  think  we  cannot  accept  this  explana- 
tion, as  trees  only  care  for  their  own  progression; 
and  some  of  you  boys  and  gii'ls  might  find  a 
iT.ore  reasonable  explanation  for  this  tree's 
conduct,  if  you  notice  the  angle  at  which  the 
leaf  stalk  is  joined  on  to  the  lai'ge  leaf. 

Along  the  streams  we  also  find  the  Alder. 
One  of  our  two  species,  Ah/ns  rhomhi folia, 
blossoms  in  January,  but  the  commoner,  Alnus 
rubra.,    displays  its  tassels  in  March,  when  its 

new  leaves  are  venturing  forth.     Alnus 

ALDER.  ^  ^,  .  .  T 

comes    from    a    Celtic    word    meaning 

"  near  the  river."  I  think  3'ou  can  guess  what 
the  two  species'  names  mean.  The  Alder  car- 
ries its  two  kinds  of  l)lossoms  on  the  same  tree. 
The  staminate's  work  is  soon  done  and  it  falls 
early.  The  pistillate  grows  into  a  fruit  that 
resembles  a  tiny  cone.  You  can  tind  out  how 
many  seeds  it  contains  and  how  they  are  built 
for  scattering. 

Another  deciduous  tree  that  has  both  kinds 


142 


HABITS  OF  (AIJKOIJMA   IT. ANTS 


of  flowers  on   the  same  jilMiit  is  tlie  Sycamore. 

AVe  all  have  been  grateful  for  its  shade  that 
makes  oiii-  ci-eek  banks  so  attrae- 
ti^  e.      I  wonder  if  some  of  you  have 

not  found  its  long  half-prostrate  branches  mar- 


SYCAMORE. 


SYCAMORE. 


velous  horses  that  carried  you  instantly  wher- 
ever your  wish  dictated.  1  used  to  take 
journeys  all  over  the  world  on  a  Sycamore 
steed,  and  they  w^ere  most  satisfactory,  for 
nothing  ever    happened  uidess   I    willed  it   so. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS  143 

And  from  the  Syc-auioi-e's  broad  leaves,  we  used 
to  Aveave  wreaths  and  sashes  and  dolls'  dresses. 

When  these  leaves  are  being  cast  aside,  yon 
can  see  just  where  the  leaf  bnd  for  the  next 
year  is  hidden.  If  you  think  abont  it,  you  will 
see  that  the  tiee  places  its  buds  where  it  is 
easiest  to  bi'ing  them  food,  either  at  the  cud  of 
the  twigs  or  where  the  leaf  stem  joins  the 
l)ranchlct.  I^otice  if  all  the  buds  come  out 
each  3^ear.  Have  you  ever  wondered  how  a 
tree  that  yonr  pa[)a  has  prnned  can  so  quickly 
send  out  new  growth?  Perhaps  if  you  watch 
the  winter  buds  and  then  in  summer  do  some 
clipping  for  yonrself,  yon  may  learn  its  secret. 

While,  of  course,  yon  have  noticed  that  the 
Sycamore  casts  away  its  leaves,  have  you 
observed  that  it  also  scales  off  its  bark? 

The  winter  buds  of  the  Sycamore  are  well 
protected,  and  Avhen  they  let  the  young  leaves 
peep  out,  you  w^ill  find  that  each  little  leaf  has 
not  only  its  own  furr}^  coat  but  also  a  brown 
wooll}^  overcape  folded  around  it.  As  the  leaf 
growls,  the  ca^^e  does  not  fall  off,  but  tui'us 
green,  too,  and  helps  in  the  work  of  the  tree. 


MAPLE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  145 

The  grown  leaves,  you   kiiuv\\  are  broad,  deeply 

lobed,  and  with  larg'c  veins.      The   broad   leaves 

give  the  Syeamore  one   of  its  botanical  names, 

platanus\     the     other,     n/(())iosa,     comes     from 

the    way    its    tlowers    and    fruits   are   ari-auged. 

The   Howers   are    clustered    into   balls    hanging 

down  at  diifereiit  phices  on  a  stem.     Each  pistil 

and  each   stamen  is  a  iiower  by  itself.      When 

the    fruit   ri[)ens,   it    forms   gi-ecn   balls.     These 

look    like   beads  threaded   on   the   zigzag    stem. 

If  you   bi'eak  one  oi)en,  you   will   see   how   the 

seeds  are  |)i"ovided  with  downy  sails. 

A  deciduous   tree    that    has    very    noticeable 

seeds  is  the  Maple.     These   are  not   so  plentiful 

with  us  as  in  the  Xoith   and  the   East,   l)ut   still 

they  ai-e  freqnent    enough  for  most   of  you   to 

have  seen  their  deeply  cut  leaves  and  their  large 

Avinged  seeds.     Foi'tunate  are  you  children  who 

live  where  the  leaves  tui'U  I'ed  and  gold  instead 

of    ci-umbh'    l)rown   as   the\'   do   in   the 
MAPLE.  .  •  • 

15ay    region.       Lhe   seetl-eases   are   las- 

cinating  anywhere.     Most   of  you,   1   am   sure, 

have  used  them  foi-  eai-  decorations.     Have  you 

cut    them    in  two   and   counted    the   number  of 


146  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

seeds?  Do  you  know  that  tliis  kind  of  a  seed- 
case  is  called  a  ^'sainai-a?" 

Study  the  winter  buds  and  watch  the  closely 
coated  little  leaves  unfold.  From  March  you 
will  see  the  flowering.  One  of  onr  species, 
Acer  ruacropliijllam^  produces  perfect  flowers  on 
gracefully  drooping  stems.  The  otiier,  Acer 
Californk'tim,  has  its  staminate  blossoms  on  one 
tree  and  its  pistillate  on  another.  You  have 
perhaps  noticed  the  stamens  with  the  long, 
slender,  pink  filaments  tliat  let  them  sway  on 
the  breeze. 

The  name  "Acei""  is  the  old  title  for  the 
family,  and  means  '^  sharp  "'  or  "strong."  Why 
is  it  called  so?  "MacrophylUim  "  is  from  the 
Greek  meaning  "  large  leaves."  You  see  that 
the  name  is  appi'opriate.  Its  leaves  ai'e  deeply 
lobed,  while  those  of  Calit'ornicum  are  cut  into 
three  distinct  separate  parts.  Some  people  call 
the  Californicum  the  Box  Eldei",  because  of  its 
leaves.  Thei'e  is  no  need  to  tell  you  why  this 
Maple  is  called  Californicum.  That  is  easy  to 
guess. 

A  ti'ee  whose  seed  you  j)ivt'er  to  that   of  the 


IIAI'.ITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   I'LANTS 


u: 


Maple  is  the  ILizt'liiut.  You  liavo  searched  for 
i1  along-  the  streain.s,  usually  in  the  siiade  of 
taller  trees.  Yon  will  find  its 
staininate  flowers  in  di'ooping  cat- 
kins and  the  ])istinate  ones  gron])ed  in  a  scaly 


HAZELNUT, 


HAZELNVT. 


bud.  Look  at  th(>  bracts,  the  leaf-like  strnc- 
tures,  that  are  at  the  base  of  each  pistillate 
blossom.  Watch  these  as  the  seed  grows  and 
see  how  they  increase  in  size  and  inclose  the 


WHITE  OAK. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  149 

nut.  Do  you  think  it  easy  to  destroy  this  seed- 
case?  This  pointed  armor  of  the  nut  gives  the 
Hazel  its  botanical  names,  Corylus,  which  is  the 
Greek  for  "helmet,"  and  rostmta,  meaning 
"  beaked."  The  family  name,  too,  indicates 
this  cup-like  covering  for  the  nut.  It  is  Cup- 
iiliferce,  or  "  cup  bearing,"  which  is  easy  for  you 
to  remember.  If  you  think  a  moment,  you  will 
remember  that  you  are  well  acquainted  with 
some  prominent  members  of  the  Cupuliferce^ 
the  Oaks.  You  know  they  all  have  cups  to 
hold  their  acoi-ns  in.  Pi-obably  most  of  you 
have  used  these  same  cups  at  your  dolls'  parties. 
An  Oak  that  has  a  deep  cup  with  a  rough 
surface  and  an  inner  pale  woolly  lining  is  the 
White  Oak.  It  is  the  largest  and  most  graceful 
of  its  ffunily  in  California.     The  Oaks  are   all 

called     Quercus  by   the   botanists. 

WHITE  OAK.     ™,  .     .    ^        ,,      ^,  ,,. 

This  IS  from  the  Celtic  ana  means 

*'  a  tine  tree."  The  Romans  called  it  that  when 
they  iirst  saw  the  tree  hundreds  of  years  ago, 
but  it  is  just  as  appropriate  to-day.  The  White 
Oak's  special  name  is  Lohata  because  of  its 
lobed     leaves.     Its     Spanish    Californian    title. 


150 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


"Roble,"  has  given  a  name  to  one  of  our  towns, 
''  Paso  de  Robles/' 

The  leaves  of  the  White  Oak  are  always 
deeply  cut  into  and  are  gradual!}^  narrowed 
from    the   top  down.     They   are   deciduous,  so 


YOUNG   WHITE  UAK 


that  during  some  months  each  year  the  tree 
stands  with  branches  nude.  Even  then  it  is 
beautiful,  in  its  gray  brown  strength. 

The  catkins  of  the   Quercus  Lobata   appear 
about  February.     You  will  find  that  they  con- 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  151 

tain  only  the  staminate  flowers.  If  yon  observe 
the  twigs,  yon  will  see  other  little  blossoms 
topped  by  three  sticky  stigmas.  With  the  three 
stigmas,  yon  wonld  natnrally  expect  to  have  at 
least  three  seeds  from  each  blossom.  Yon  know 
that  bnt  one  acorn  ripens  in  each  cnp,  so  you 
wonld  better  examine  into  this  mattei'. 

If  yon  observe  carefnlly,  yon  will  And  three 
cells  below  the  stigmas  and  then  yon  will  see 
two  seeds  formed  in  each  of  the  cells;  but  just 
as  plants  crowd  each  other  out  in  a  garden,  so 
the  strongest  seed  takes  all  the  food  and  crowds 
out  the  other  five.  Generally  you  can  find  some 
trace  of  the  other  seeds  and  cells  in  the  acorn, 
either  at  the  top  or  at  the  base.  In  the  White 
Oak,  you  find  them  at  the  bottom. 

The  acorn  of  the  White  Oak  I'ipeiis  the  first 
year.  It  is  from  one  to  thi'ee  inches  long,  and 
usually  has  a  poiut. 

The  acorn  the  Indians  preferred  was  the  fruit 
of  the  Live  Oak  of  the  coast,  which  is  a  difterent 
species  from  the  Live  Oak  of  the  intei'ior  valleys 
and  of  the  Sieri'a.  The  coast  Live  Oak,  Quer- 
cus-  Ayrifolla,  I'ipens  its  fruit   the   fii'st  season, 


152  HABITS  UF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

while  the  interior  Live  Oak,  (Jaer- 
LIVE  OAKS.  ,„.  ,.       .     T  . 

cas    n  ishzeni,  does  not  matui"e  its 

acorns    until    the    second    autumn.     AyrifoUa 

is  from  the  two  Latin  words  meaning  "  a  field  " 

and  "  leaves."     You  know  "  folio"  well,  and  you 


LIVE  OAK  OF  COAST  (QUERCUS  AGRIFOLIA). 

have  met  ^^  agri "  in  "agriculture."  Wis- 
lizeni  is  named  after  Dr.  F.  A.  AVislizenius, 
who,  in  early  days,  gathered  some  branches  of 
the  tree  on  the  American  Kiver  and  sent  them 
to  a  botanist  to  be  described  in  science. 

Both  of  these  ti'ees  get  their  })()pulai-  names  of 


HABITS  OF  CALIP'OUXIA    PLANTS  l',;^, 

"Live  Oaks''  from  their  habit  of  liolcliiig  on  to 
the  old  leaves  until  the  new  ones  are  clothing 
the  branches.  Quercus  Agrifolia  throws  off  its 
old  ones  as  soon  as  the  spring  leaves  are  well 
out  in  ^fareh  or  April,  but  Wislizeni  keeps  its 
leaves  until  the  seeond  summer  or  fall. 

The  leaves  of  both  the  Live  Oaks  ai"e  entir?", 
that  is,  without  lobes,  and  their  margins  are 
wavy  and  sometimes  have  teeth  on  the  cuives. 
The  leaves  of  both  ai-e  beautiful  when  they  first 
unfold.  The  Agrifolia  are  tinged  with  I'ed  and 
have  a  coat  of  long  white  hairs  to  keej)  tiiem 
warm.  As  tjie  leaves  grow  older  and  need  less 
])rotection,  the  hairs  generally  disap])eai',  but 
sometimes  tufts  remain  in  the  axils  of  the  prin- 
cipal veins  even  when  the  leaves  are  full  grown. 
You  know  how  leathery  these  leaves  are;  how 
they  have  a  convex  cui've;  and  hoAV  the  u])per 
surface  differs  from  the  lowei".  Have  you  ever 
noticed  th.it  on  tlu'  lowei-  surface  of  some  there 
arc  little  bunches  of  haii's  ai-ranged  in  the  shape 
of  stars?  You  will  find  this  true  of  many  of 
the  oaks.  The  young  leaves  of  the  Wislizeni 
are  dark  red,  with  a  fi'ini>e  of  little  hairs  on  the 


154  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

edge  and  stellate,  or  star-shaped,  biinehes  scat- 
tered over  them.  They,  too,  grow  leathery 
and  thick,  and  their  midribs  get  i-onnded  and 
raised  on  the  upper  surface,  while  their  margins 
roll  back  slightly. 

Both  these  Live  Oaks  blossom  early  in  the 
spi'ing,  when  tlie  new  leaves  are  unfolding. 
The  long  gi-aceful  tassels  are  formed  of  the 
staminate  blossoms  and  the  pistillate  ones  sit  on 
little  spikes.  The  Agi'ifolia,  when  the  insects 
have  injured  much  of  the  early  foliage,  or  when 
there  are  abundant  early  rains,  sometimes 
flowers  again  in  the  autunui.  The  acorns  from 
these  fall  blooms  i-einain  on  the  Ivev  all  the 
winter,  tiny  things  that  they  are,  nnd  with  the 
new  burst  of  life  in  the  spring,  enlarge;  but 
they  drop  to  the  ground  without  ripening. 

The  acorn  of  Agrifolia  is  long  and  it  narrows 
abruptly  at  its  base  and  comes  gradually  to  a 
jjoint  at  the  top.  It  is  a  light  chestnut  brown 
and  its  coat  is  lined  with  thick  wool.  The  cup 
is  thin  and  light  brown.  Its  inner  surface  is 
lined  with  a  soft,  pale  silk,  while  outside  it  weai's 
rough,  papery  scales. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  155 

The  Wislizeni  acorn  is  long,  too,  and  narrows 
in  the  same  way;  bnt  its  brown  is  often  striped 
longitudinally  and  its  shell  has  a  scanty  woolen 
lining.  Its  cup  is  covered  with  scales  that  grow 
thicker  at  the  base  and  are  ronnded  at  the  back, 
and  the  cup  generally  extends  high  up  on  the 
fruit. 

Another  of  our  Oaks  that  has  a  high  cup  and 
a  striped  acorn  is  the  Black  Oak,  or  Qaevcas 
Califoniica.      This    is    the    largest    and    most 

abundant  oak  of  the   Sierra   ]^e- 

BLACK  OAK.  ,  i     .   •       ,       ^         i   •      ^i 

vada,  and  it  is  also  tound  m  the 

valleys  of  the  Coast  Kaiige.  Its  fruit  ripens 
the  second  year.  The  acorn  is  broad  and  well- 
rounded  and  slopes  off  at  the  top.  In  its  leaf, 
the  central  pair  of  lobes  are  the  largest,  so  that 
the  leaf  narrows  at  both  top  and  bottom.  The 
])oint  of  each  lobe  is  finished  with  a  bristle-like 
tooth.  The  young  leaves  and  their  stems  are 
rose  color  and  very  hairy.  As  the  leaves  grow 
old,  they  turn  a  glossy  green,  and  then  soon 
after  the  tree  casts  them  off. 

The  bark  of  the  Black  Oak  is  black  and 
rough.     It  is  sometimes  used  for  tanning,  but 


TANBAKK  OAK. 


HABITS  OK  CALIFOHNfA   PLANTS  l;-,7 

the  tiTie  "  tan-bark  oak  "  of  California  is  Quercas 

Densiilora.     This  you  will  find 
TANBARK  OAK.  .  .  .      ., 

a   very    interesting   tree   in   its 

flowering.     Some   catkins  bear   only   staminate 

blossoms,    while    others    have    ])erfect    flowers, 

those    containing     both     stamens    and     pistils. 

Occasionally    the    other    oaks    produce   perfect 

flowers,  but  none  so  often  as  does  the  Densiflora. 

Then,  too,  the   catkins   stand   erect  instead   of 

drooping.     The  Densiflora  generally  blooms  in 

summer  so  that  you   And   the  flowers  and  the 

fruit,  which  takes  tAvo  years  to  ripen,   on    the 

tree   at  the   same   time.     The   cups  are   saucer 

shaped  and  covered  with  bi-istles.     The  acorns 

are  large   and   have  a  thick  shell.     The  leaves 

are  evergreen,  oblong,  with  teeth  on  theii-  edges, 

and  with  large  veins. 

These  are  our  commonest  oaks,  and  you  will 

find    them    well    worth    studying.     Each    tree 

seems  to  diff'er  a  little  in  its  method  of  giowth, 

its   leaves,  its  blossoms,   and  its  fruiting;   and 

there  is  much  that  botanists  have  not  yet  learned 

of  its  habits.     Then  there  are  the  oak-apple  and 

the  mistletoe,  both  of  which  you  will  notice  in 


158  HAHITS  OF   CALIFOKXIA   PLANTS 

studying'  the  oak,  and  on  these  alone  you  can 
make  observations  that  may  in  time  add  your 
name  to  the  Hsts  of  seientists. 

If  you  had  been  l)orn  a  Httle  Indian  in  Oali- 
foi'uia  two  huiKh'ed  years  ago,  your  favorite  nut 
would  not  have  been  the  Hazel  or  the  Aeoi-n, 
but  that  from  the  Pine  tree.     And  what  fun  you 

would    have    had    g-atherino-    it!     Your 

PINES.     ^.    ,  n   ,  , 

rather  would   beat  the  cones  down  from 

the  trees  and   your    mother   would   roast  them 

until  the   scales  opened.     Then  you  all  would 

help  take  out  the  nuts  and  store  them  away  in 

o:reat  baskets  for  the  winter  time.     You  could 

have  eaten  as  many  as  you  wished  while  you 

packed  them,  for  Indian  mothei-s  did  not  make 

little   boys   whistle    while  they  worked,  as  our 

mammas  do  when  we  are  picking  raisins  for  the 

plum-pudding. 

To-day  many   of  you  get    the  pine  nuts  for 

your  pleasure,  not  for  your  need,  as  did  the  little 

Indian  boys  and  girls,  and  you  all  know  that 

they  grow  in  what  we  call  a  cone.     You  have 

seen  the  cones  on  the  trees,  but  have  you  noticed 

the  flowers  that  made  the  cone? 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS  loi) 

In  the  spring-time  yon  have  seen  the  gronnd 
or  water  near  the  pines  all  yellow  as  if  a  shower 
of  sulphnr  had  fallen.  Then  yon  looked  np  and 
saw  golden  tassels  waving'  around  on  the 
branches.  If  you  examine  these,  yon  find  that 
they  consist  of  stamens  alone.  The  flower  that 
forms  the  cone  is  on  the  same  tree,  but  it  is 
diff'erent  from  any  flowers  yon  have  known. 
It  has  no  stigma,  but  just  the  little  cell  Avait- 
ing  uncovered  for  the  pollen  to  fall  upon  it 
and  make  a  seed.  Why  does  the  Pine  pro- 
duce so  much  pollen?  What  carries  it  to  the 
seed  cell  for  her?  Does  she  secrete  honey? 
Have  yon  seen  au}^  insects  feasting  in  the  Pine 
forests? 

You  all  know  the  leaves  of  the  Pines  as 
"  needles."  You  have  seen  that  they  are 
attached  to  the  stem  in  little  bundles,  with  an 
enclosing  sheath  around  them.  Have  you 
noticed  that  all  Pines  have  not  the  same  number 
of  needles  to  a  bundle,  or  that  all  needles  are 
not  the  same  shape?  The-  ground  in  a  Pine 
forest  is  always  covered  with  needles.  Does 
the  Pine  shed  them  once  a  year  as  the  Maple 


HiO  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

does?  I.s  the  tree  ever  bare?  See  if  you  can 
learn  how  long-  the  needles  do  cling  to  the 
ti'ee.  llow  are  the  bundles  of  needles  ar- 
ranged on  the  stems?  In  circles?  Is  a  Pine 
needle  really  needle-shaped,  without  any  cor- 
ners? Has  it  bi-eathing  pores  as  other  leaves 
have? 

In  observing  the  cone,  notice  if  it  stands  erect 
with  its  fruit  or  hangs  pendant.  Is  it  on  the 
end  of  a  bi-anch  oi-  on  the  side?  Are  the  cones 
single  or  in  pairs  or  in  bunches?  Are  they 
opposite  on  the  stem  or  alternate  or  in  whorls? 
Do  they  cling  to  the  tree  after  the  seeds  are 
cast  out?  If  there  are  hooks  on  the  scales,  how 
do  they  curve?  Why  ?  Are  the  scales  arranged 
in  a  circle  around  the  cone  or  in  a  spiral?  How 
many  scales  does  it  take  to  reach  around  the 
cone  once?  Soak  a  cone  in  water  and  see  what 
its  scales  do.  You  can  make  a  pretty  hanging 
basket  by  taking  advantage  of  this  habit  of  the 
Pine  cone. 

Those  of  you  wdio  have  observed  the  Pines 
know  that  their  cones  ditfer.  The  cones  of  the 
Sugar  Pine,  the  king  of  the  Pine  nation,  are 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  KJl 

immense     and    are    aiTant»t(l    on 
SUGAR  PINE.     ,  1  ,        .    1 

long  stems  near  the  ends  of  the 

branches.  When  the  seeds  are  ri])e,  the  eone 
swings  oft'  to  the  gi-ound.  The  scales  are  Hat 
and  loosely  attached  and  have  no  hooks.  AVhy 
do  yon  suppose  this  is?  The  seeds  ai'e  large 
and  edible  and  have  big  Ijiovvn-veined  wings  to 
carry  them  earthward. 

Reaching  sometimes  thi-ee  hundred  feet  in 
height  and  sixt}^  in  circumference,  the  Sugar 
Pine's  size  alone  would  make  it  impressive  were 
not  the  charm  of  grace  and  beauty  also  added. 
Its  tall,  erect  trunk,  unmarred  by  limb  or  knot 
for  two-thirds  of  its  height;  its  lich-toned, 
checkered  bark;  its  canopy  of  long,  giaceful 
boughs;  its  slender  pendant  cones,  all  awaken 
such  admiration  that  we  can  understand  how 
the  white  man  who  made  it  known  to  the  world 
endangered  his  life  to  I'each  the  tree.  This  was 
David  Douglas,  the  Scotch  Ijotanist.  Just  here 
we  might  say  that  the  boy  or  girl  who  cares 
for  California  Pines  will  find  the  story  of  Doug- 
las's ramblings,  his  adventures,  and  his  tragic 
death  exceedingly   intei-esting.     He  discovered 


SUGAR  PINE  (Oiu-tliiiil   n;itiiial  size;. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  103 

and  named  six  California  Pines,  and  this  was 
but  a  small  portion  of  bis  service  to  our  Coast. 

Douglas  called  tbe  Sugar  Pine  Plnus  Z/am- 
hertiana  after  bis  friend  Lambert,  an  Eno-Hsb 
botanist.  It  gets  its  popular  name  of  Sugar 
Pine  from  the  sweet  gum  it  exudes  after  a  fire. 

A  rival  to  the  Sugai-  Pine  is  the  Yellow  Pine 

or  Pinus  ponderosa.     Its  trunk,  like  that  of  the 

Sugar  Pine,  is  free  from   branches   to   a   great 

height.     These    large   trees  are 
YELLOW  PINE.         J  ,    •   ,   "       , 

seli-pruners,  their  lower  l)ranches 

withering    and    dropping    off,    letting    all    their 

strength  go  to  an  upward   growth.     The  bark 

of  the  Yellow  Pine  is  fissured  in  great  plates, 

suggestive  of  alligator  leathei'.      Its  long  needles 

are    in    bundles    of    three    and    their   enclosing 

sheaths  w^rap  around  closely  and  do  not  shake 

off"  easil}^     The  cones  are  small  and  when  they 

break    away    from    the  tree  they    leave   behind 

their  stems  and  some  of  their  lower  scales.    Did 

any  of  you  ever  find  a  whole  cone  of  a  Yellow 

Pine  on  the  ground? 

The  Pine  the  Indians  thought  had  the  best 

nuts  is  sometimes  called  after  them  the  "  Digger 


YELLOW  PINE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


165 


DIGGER  PINE. 


Pine";  sometimes  it  is  named  the  "Nut  Pine," 
and  again  the  '^  Gray-leafed 
Pine."  This  grows  so  generally 
throughout  the  state  that  most  of  you  know  its 
gray-green  foliage,  its  long,  irregular  shaggy 
branches,  and  its  heavy,  prickly  cones.     Some- 


gUj^ 

L 

'^vmun^ 

\ 

YELLOW  PIXE   (Two-lifths  iiaturfil  size). 


times  its  trunk  is  divided  into  angular  liranches. 
It  is  never  so  shapely  as  the  "  luinl)er  i)ines," 
which,  the  Indians  say,  are  "^  eagles'  feathers 
reaching  to  the  sun."" 

The  cones  of  the  Diggei'  Pine  grow  along  the 
sides   of   the   branch,    instead   of  near   its   end. 


DIUGEK   PINE  (T\vo-tiftb^  natural  5.ize). 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  167 

The  first  year,  a  cone  is  a  globular  mass  of 
riches  about  au  iuch  loug,  all  covered  Avith 
hooked  scales.  The  secoud  year  it  iucreases  its 
length  to  even  ten  inches;  the  scales  become 
heavy  and  leathery ;  and  the  hooks  reach  from 
one  to  three  inches.  When  we  remember  that 
under  each  scale  two  delicious  seeds  are  ripened, 
we  can  tell  why  the  cone  has  such  thick  scales 
and  such  warlike  prickles. 

As  the  seeds  mature  in  the  second  year,  the 
cones  get  so  heavy  that  they  hang  over  on  their 
stems.  Then,  under  the  late  autunm  sun,  the 
scales  rise  up  and  the  dark  seeds  fly  down  on 
their  tiny  wings  to  bury  themselves  in  the  earth 
and  start  new  trees  the  following  year.  Well 
for  them  if  the  hungiy  gray  squii'rel  does  not 
spy  them,  for  he  relishes  the  sweet  nut  as  much 
as  does  a  little  boy  I  know. 

When  the  seeds  have  scattered,  the  Digger 
cone  still  clings  to  the  tree.  After  a  while  the 
new  growth  lengthens  out  it&  stem  and  makes 
it  unable  to  bear  the  heavy  cone.  Then  the 
cone  falls  with  a  crash  to  the  ground,  and  if  it 
be  not  picked  up  by  some  enterprising  lad,  it 


168 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


finally    decays    and    enriches    the    soil    for    its 
mother  tree. 

Besides  the  Digger  Pine,  which  the  botanists 
call  Pinus  Sabiniana,  after  Joseph  Saliine,  an 
English  scientist,  there  are  several  other  nnt 
pines  in  California.  One  which  was  a  great 
favorite  with  the  Indians  is  the  Single-leaf  Pine, 


1.    PINUS  MONOPHYLLA.       3.    TAMARACK  PINE  (PINUS  CONTORTA). 
•2.    HEMLOCK.  (One-half  natural  size). 

or  Pinus  monophylla,  which  means  the  same 
thing.  It  is  sometimes  refei*red  to  as  '^  Fre- 
mont's Nnt  Pine,"  becanse 
General  Fremont  made  care- 
ful notes  on  it  in  1845,  calling  it  the  "  one-leafed 
pine.''     From    these    names    you    w^ill     readily 


SINGLE-LEAF  PINE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  169 

guess  that  this  Pine  is  peculiar  in  having  but 
one  leaf  in  each  bundle  Tf  you  examine  each 
sheath  well,  you  may  find  a  trace  of  a  sister  leaf 
that  should  have  grown  up  within  the  same 
eovei-ing.  The  leaves  are  so  ^\v\\  sharpened 
that  they  ai-e  highly  prized  by  the  elfin  di-ess- 
makers.  The  cones  are  about  two  inches  long 
and  well  roiimled,  with  comparatively  few 
scales  and  these  unarmed.  The  seeds  are  large, 
with  hard  shells  and  without  wings.  Tiiey  are 
delicious  and  are  so  nourishing  that  the  Indians 
found  a  hnndfnl  snihcient  Ibod  for  a  day's 
tramp. 

The  children  of  the  coast  region  will  probably 
find  the  Pine  of  their  vicinity  to  be  the  Phius 
Inslgnis,    or   Monterey    Pine.     It    is    so    called 

because  it  was  first  noted  near 

MONTEREY  PINE.     ^^  ^  t     ■      ■ 

Monterey  -Bay.     ijis/gjNs  you 

know  the  meaning  of,  from  having  studi^tl  the 

Baby-blue-eyes.     The  Monterey  Pine  l)ranches 

low  down  and  the  limbs  are  well  covered  with 

leaves   in  bundles  of  threes.     This  Pine  has  an 

mterestmg  cone  growth.     The  scales  near  the 

base  have  strong  knobs,  but  they  do  not  perfect 


TAMARACK  PINE  (Thin  bark). 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 


171 


the  seeds  beneath.  The  upper  scales  are  flatter 
and  protect  the  seeds  that  ripen.  They  are 
most  careful  guardians,  tor  they  do  not  open 
when  the  seeds  are  mature,  but  hold  them  close 
and  safe  for  an  indetinite  number  of  years. 


.MUN'TEREY  PIXE  (about  one-half  natural  size). 

One  group  of  Pines  has  a  thin  bark  that 
makes  it  an  easy  prey  to  insects.  The  prettiest 
of  these  is  the  Tamarack  or  Lodge-pole  Phie. 
You  can  guess  Avhy  it  is  called 
the  Lodge-pole  Pine.  Its 
cones  are  small  and  drooping,  and  fall  when 
their  seeds  are  mature.  Its  needles  are  in  pairs. 
As  it   grows  old,  its  branches  have  a  peculiar 


TAMARACK  PINE. 


172  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA    PLANTS 

.  way  of  twisting  downward  and  invvai-d  and  so 
limiting  their  own  sni)p]y  of  sap.  This  hal)it 
accounts  for  the  iunnl)er  of  dead  trees  seen  in 
groves  of  the  living.  This  habit,  also,  gives 
the  tree  its  botanical  name  of  Pinifs  Contorta. 
You  know"  what  ""contorted"  means,  and  so 
you  can  understand  why  this  Pine  is  named 
conto7^ta. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  Pines  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  we  have  noticed  only  a  few  points 
regarding  each  mentioned.  By  the  cones  and 
the  number  of  needles  you  can  distinguish  the 
diiferent  species,  but  knowing  the  name  of  a 
Pine  is  only  the  first  step  of  getting  acquainted. 
A  tree  is  like  a  person;  if  you  like  it  at  all,  the 
nioi'C  you  know  of  its  habits  the  more  3'ou  ai"e 
interested  in  it.  You  can  only  know  a  ])lant  by 
observation.  Yery  few  children  in  our  State 
but  have  at  least  one  Pine  in  their  nei«'hborhood, 
either  in  the  woods  or  in  a  park,  so  you  all  have 
opportunities  to  know  this  mighty  tree. 

Among  tlic  Pine  forests  of  the  Sierras,  you 
often  see  the  great  Red  Fir.  Its  Latin  name, 
Abies  Ma<j)iifica,  shows  that  it  is  the  most  mag- 


KED  FIR  (Showing  barks). 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  175 

nificeiit  of  the  Fir  family,  called  Ahies  by 

FIRS.     ^,  •     .       ,    1  T 

the  ancient  schohii-s.      Its  popular  name 

of   Red  Fir  is  giyen  it  on  account  of  its   rich 

colored    under    bai'k.     The    coyerin"-    bark    is 

grayish    oi'    brownisli,    and    has    deep    cracks 

running  up  and  down. 

The  Eed  Fir,  and  also  its  sister,  the  White 
Fir,  which  wanders  oyer  the  Coast  Range  as 
well  as  on  the  Sierra  Neyadas,  and  the  beauti- 
ful "  Yenus  *"  Fir,  which  liides  in  the  i-ayines  of 
the  Santa  Lucia  Mountains,  are  particularly 
graceful  trees.  They  send  their  branches  out 
in  whorls,  the  lowest  always  being  the  longest, 
so  that  the  tree  tapers  u})  eyenly  to  a  point. 
Then  branches  come  out  on  either  side  of  the 
limb,  making  a  horizontal  layer  of  foliage  around 
the  ti*ee.  As  the  tree  grows  old,  it  cuts  off  its 
lower  branches,  just  as  the  Pines  do. 

You  know  that  the  lea  yes  of  the  Fir  are  not 
in  bundles,  as  are  the  Pine  needles;  l)ut  haye 
you  noticed  how  they  are  arranged  around  the 
branchlcts  to  make  such  a  thick  appearance? 
See  how  the  ones  on  the  lower  side  of  the  twig 
take  a  different  twist  from  those  on  the  upper,  a 


170  HABITS  OF   CALIFORNIA    PLANTS 

sort  of  com})ouiicl  cnrvt'?  Some  of  these  leaves 
may  l)e  older  than  some  of  you  who  read  this, 
for  they  eliiig  to  the  tree  for  eight  or  ten  years. 
If  yon  have  a  mierosco])e,  yon  might  see  the 
rows  and  rows  of  white-mouthed  l)reathino: 
])c)res  that  give  the  leaf  its  silvei-y  glisten. 
These  win  for  a  eei-tain  Fir  the  name  of  "  Silver 
Fir." 

The  Fir  has  two  kinds  of  blossoms.  The 
staminate  columns  fringe  the  branchlets  of  the 
lower  limbs  of  the  adult  tree  with  a  bright  I'ed. 
The  pistillate  ones  are  sitting  straight  on  the 
npper  side  of  the  topmost  branches,  not  more 
than  four  to  a  branch.  How  do  the  clouds  of 
yellow  pollen  reach  the  seed-cases?  Would 
you  not  think  that  the  Fir  would  reverse  the 
position  of  her  flowers  and  put  the  staminate 
ones  up  to])?  Why  does  she  place  them  this 
way  ? 

The  Fir  cones  are  always  erect.  They  have, 
too,  a  difterent  habit  from  the  Pine  cones. 
After  the  winged  seeds  are  cast  out,  the  cone 
scales  peel  off,  leaving  the  soft  axis  remaining 
upright   on   the   tree.      Did   you  ever  pull   off 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS  177 

the  scale  of  a  Fir  cone  and  find  the  bract  grow- 
ing on  its  outer  side?  In  the  "Yenus  "  Fir  this 
bract  grows  longer  than  the  scale  and  hangs  as 
a  long  bristle.  In  our  common  Firs,  it  is  shorter 
than  the  scale  and  is  hidden. 

Another  of  our  cone-bearers  that  has  small 

bracts    on   the    back   of  its   cone  scales  is  the 

Western     Hemlock,     or    Tsuga    Heteropliylla. 

Tsuqa  is  the  Japanese  name  for  the 

HEMLOCK.        ^  .  rr  „  X. 

tree,  meaning  evergreen.  Heter- 
opliylla is  a  compound  of  two  Greek  words 
meaning  "  different "  and  "  leaves."  You  will 
find  difterent  leaves  on  the  same  tree,  according 
to  their  ai>'e  and  the  ai>'e  of  the  branches. 

The  Hemlock  cones  difier  from  those  of  the 
Fir  in  being  pendant  at  the  end  of  the  branchlet. 
Then,  too,  the  scales  with  their  bracts  remain 
on  the  cone  after  the  seeds  are  scattered.  The 
cones  are  purplish  when  they  are  young,  but 
they  turn  brown  as  they  ripen.  They  are  very 
numerous  and  give  a  graceful  finish  to  the 
swaying  branchlets. 

The  Hemlock  flowei's  in  early  spring.  Its 
staminate   blossoms    ai-e  in   clusters,  which   are 


178  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

raised  out  on  a  little  spike  when  the  joollen  is 
mature.  The  pistillate  are  hanging  on  the  end 
of  the  twigs,  where  the  cones  afterwards 
develop. 

The  leaves  are  not  spiral  on  the  stem,  as  in 
the  Fir,  hut  are  in  ranks  of  two.  Each  leaf  has 
a  joint  near  its  base;  and  when  withering  time 
comes,  the  upper  part  of  the  leaf  twists  off, 
leaving  the  base  on  the  stem.  This  leaf  base 
makes  a  scar  on  the  stem,  and  the  great  number 
of  these  scars  make  a  roughened  surface,  which 
is  partly  concealed  on  the  j^ounger  branches  by 
Ion 2:  hairs. 

The  main  branches  of  the  Hemlock  are  not  in 
whorls,  l)ut  alternate,  with  the  upper  ones 
shorter  than  the  lower.  The  long  limbs  extend 
outward  and  downward  in  a  graceful  curve. 
From  either  side  the}^  have  numerous  branchlets 
which  divide  and  subdivide,  always  in  ranks  of 
two,  until  they  end  in  sleudei',  drooping,  hairy 
little  sprays  that  dance  up  and  down  on  each 
passing  zephyr. 

A  tree  akin  to  the  Hemlock,  and  yet  very 
different,    is    the     Pseadotsiuja    J)oft(/Jasif\    or 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  179 

Douglas    Spruce.     Pseudo    is    the    Greek    for 

"  false,"     so    thai     the    name 
DOUGLAS  SPRUCE. 

means       the    raise     Isuofa." 

Do  you  uot  think  it  unfair  to  call  so  beautiful  a 

ti-ee  by  such  a  name?     Botanists  ought  to  be 

able  to  find  titles  enough  to  go  arouud  without 

offering    such    insults    to   plants.     How    Avould 

you  like  to  be  called  "  False  William,'''  for  the 

reason    that    you    somewiiat    resemble    a     man 

uamed    William?     Plants    are  always   working 

out  their  own  destiny  and  they  do  not  try  to  ])e 

like  auythiug  else,  so  the}^  cannot  be  false. 

Well,  the  Psuedotsuga  DouglaMi  or  Douglas 
Spruce  differs  in  many  w^ays  from  the  Hemlock. 
Its  cone  is  uoticeable  for  the  lon^-  bracts  Avhich 
stick  out  from  behind  the  scales  and  curl  back 
iu  a  three-parted  extension.  The  cone  is  not 
suspeuded  from  the  end  of  the  branchlets,  but 
back  a  little.  The  lirauches  are  uot  roughened 
by  leaf  scai'S,  and  the  leaves  are  more  numerous 
than  those  of  the  Hemlock.  They  differ,  too, 
in  shape  and  arrangement.  Its  bark  is  thicker 
and  is  deeply  fissured. 

The    Douglas    Spruce   is   found  iu   both   the 


DOUGLAS  SPRUCE. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  181 

Sierra  IS^evadas  and  Coast  Range.  It  is  shaped 
like  a  pyramid  when  it  has  plenty  of  room  to 
stretch  out  its  arms,  or  it  grows  tall  and  slender 
if  it  is  crowded.  It  seems  able  to  adapt  itself  to 
any  soil  or  climate,  and  each  year  we  ship  great 
quantities  of  its  seeds  to  nursei-ymen  in  Euro- 
pean countries  and  their  colonies  to  replant 
their  forests. 

By  the  way,  I  wonder  if  any  of  you  know 
how  many  dollai'S  a  year  couie  to  Califoi'nia  for 
the  seeds  of  her  native  plants.  You  might  learu 
now  to  collect  seeds  carefully,  leaving  always 
enough  for  the  plant  to  reproduce  itself  on  our 
own  soil.  We  do  not  wish  to  sell  all  our  treas- 
ures, but  only  to  share  our  surplus  with  the 
world. 

One  of  our  conifers  whose  seeds  have  been 
widely  scattered  by  man  is  the  Monterey  Cy- 
press. Its  original  home  is  a  stretch  of  only 
two  miles  on  the  Monterey  coast;  and  yet  since 

1838,  its  seeds  have  been 
MONTEREY  CYPRESS.  ,.      .,         ,     ,    ^ 

so  distributed  that  noAv  it 

is    the    most    widely    cultivated    cone-bearer  of 

Southern  and   Western  Europe,  South  America, 


182  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

and  Australia,  as  well  as  of  our  own  Pacific 
Coast.  You  all  have  seen  it,  if  not  on  its  native 
cliffs,  w^here  the  winds  force  it  into  all  sorts  of 
odd  shapes,  at  least  in  some  gardens,  where  it 
does  duty  as  a  hedge. 


MONTH liF.V    CVPKKSS. 


You  know  its  leaves  are  pressed  down  closely 
to  its  stem,  but  do  you  know  that  the>^  cling  on 
for  three  or  four  years?  The  fruit  is  in  clus- 
ters   and    not    like    the    otlier  cones    we    have 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  183 

studied.  Cut  one  opeu  to  see  just  where  the 
seeds  ripeu  and  how  many  there  are  under  each 
scale. 

Botanists  call  the  Monterey  Cypress  the 
Cupressus  Macrocarpa.  Cupressus  is  the  an- 
cient name  for  the  Cypress,  Avhich  was  found 
abundantly  on  the  Island  of  Cypress.  Macro- 
carpa means  "  large  fruit." 

The  leaves  of  the  Cypress  are  not  unlike 
those  of  the  Juniper,  although  the  habit  of 
growth  and  the  fruit  are  totally  different. 
Those  of  you  who  have  seen  the  Juniper  of  the 

Sierra    ^Nevada    remember    how    the 

JUNIPER.    ,       1     f,        T      1      •   f  If 

ti-unk  oiten  divides  into  several  stems 

sending  up  several  heads.     You  know,  too,  how 

the  bark  looks  twisted,  as  if  from  suffering. 

The  Juniper  leaves  you  can  count  in  threes, 

closely  bent  to  the  stem.     See  if  yow  can  find 

little   pits    on   their    backs.     The    fruit,    which 

looks  like  a  berry  instead  of  a  cone,  was  used 

by  the  Indians  both  fresh  and  to  make  cakes  of. 

You    will  notice  that   while  the   tree  blossoms 

about  January,  the   fruit   does   not   ripen   until 

the  second  autumn.     Also  observe  that  gener- 


I 

HP^#^t 

L^^^ 

^HLw'*"^-.      '  .^. 

kw^ 

^HHl^l^lfv/^'^^'^ '^^'    '-^'—-Jit^^M 

T  ^fw^mmmami  . 

JUNIPER. 


RED  CEDAR. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  1«7 

ally  the  staminate  blossoms  are  on  one  tree  and 
the  pistillate  on  another. 

The  botanical  name  of  the  Juniper  family  is 
Ju7iiperus,  which  is  from  the  Celtic  meaning 
"rouo-h"  or  "  rnde/'  Yon  can  see  that  the 
name  was  given  because  of  the  bark.  In  our 
state  we  have  two  native  Junipers,  Juniperus 
Californica  and  Juniperus  Occidentalis.  You 
can  tell  for  yourself  what  each  name  means. 

Closely  allied  to  the  Junipers  is  a  tree  that 
came  to  ns  from  Oregon.  This  is  the  Red 
Cedar,  or  Thuya  Gigantea.  Thuya  is  from  the 
Greek   word  meaning  "  sacrifice,"  because  the 

Cedar   was    used   in  burning     the 

RED  CEDAR.       ^,    .  .     ^.  .         m,,^  l...^, ,.« 

ofterings  to  the  gods.     Ihe  lea\es 

of  the  Red  Cedar  are  somewhat  similar  to  those 
of  the  Cypress  and  the  Junipei*,  but  the  branches 
are  flattened  out,  as  if  they  had  been  ironed. 
The  cones  are  very  small  and  ripen  the  first 
year.  Look  under  the  scales  and  see  which 
ones  mature  seeds. 

We  have,  too,  the  Incense  Cedar,  whose 
botanical  name  is  Lihocedrus  Decurrens.  Lihas 
means    "  fragrant "    and    cedrus,    the    "  Cedar 


188  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

family  " :  while  decurrens  refers 
INCENSE  CEDAR.  .  ^,      ,  ,.      , 

to  the  way  tne  leaves  he  along 

the  stem.     Notice  how  the  leaves  ai-e  aiTan<j;-e(l, 

how  the  tree  flowers,  how  in  the  cone  only  the 


INCENSE  CEDAK  (LIBOCEDKUS   DErUItKENS). 

middle  pair  of  the  six  scales  ripens  seed,  how 
the  cone  clings  on  after  the  seeds  are  dis- 
charged, and  these  will  lead  3'on  to  obseiwe 
other  things.  Then  after  a  Avhile  you  will  feel 
that  von  know  the  tree. 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  191 

Of  all  our  California  trees,  the  most  noted  in 
the  outside  Avorld  is  the  Sequoia  Gigantea,  or 
Big  Tree.     Unfortunately,  these  are  so  few  that 

we   cannot  ho])e   that  manv  of  you 

BIG  TREE.  /.        .     ,1    ."    ,     ; 

children  are  living  m  their  shadow, 

with  the  opportunity  of  studying  them  at  first 

hand.     Some  of   you  have  seen  them   already; 

and   you    all    will    in   time,  for,  of  course,  you 

all    wish    to    know   the    wonders    of  your    own 

land. 

We  should  know  particularly  about  the  Big 
Tree,  because  the  only  place  in  the  whole  world 
where  it  groAvs  to-day  is  on  the  western  slopes 
of  the  Sierra  Xevada,  and  even  here  it  is  not 
plentiful.  There  are  only  about  ten  groves  of 
the  Sequoia  (Tigantea,  and  these  are  intermixed 
with  Pine,  Fir,  Spruce,  and  Hemlock,  all  of 
which,  although  handsome  enough  trees  by 
themselves,  look  dwarfed  beside  the  massive 
Big  Trees. 

There  is  no  use  of  mentioning  the  height  or 
thickness  of  the  Sequoia  Gigantea^  for  if  you  are 
like  me,  the  figures  will  not  impress  you.  Look 
in    your    school    geography    and   see   the    pic- 


192  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

tiire  of  the  class  seated  on  a  stump.  Then 
look  at  your  own  school-room  and  see  how  it 
compares  in  size  with  the  stump.  Then  shut 
your  eyes  and  let  your  mind  build  upon  this 
foundation  a  great  column  of  rich  red-brown 
that  towers  to  the  sky  and  that,  in  the  upper 
sunshine,  sends  out  large  graceful  fans  of  dark 
blue  green.  If  your  imagination  works  right, 
you  will  see  the  largest  tree  in  the  world;  not 
the  tallest,  for  one  other  climbs  higher,  but  the 
mightiest,  when  all  dimensions  are  measured. 

Besides  being  notable  for  its  size,  the  Big 
Tree  can  claim  reverence  for  its  age.  It  is  the 
oldest  living  thiug  now  in  the  world.  Some  of 
them  have  been  growing  over  four  thousand 
years.  I  cannot  think  just  how  long  that  is,  can 
you?  Anyway,  it  is  longer  before  Christ's  birth 
thau  our  time  is  since  it. 

Besides  its  size  and  age,  the  Sequoia  GIgantea 
has  another  claim  to  being  oi'iginal.  It  is  the 
scarcest  of  known  trees.  This  is  why  it  is  wise 
for  us  to  preserve  the  specimens  we  now  have. 
The  United  States  Government  has  taken  steps 
to   secure   some  trees   to   us   and    our   children 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS  193 

forever.  x\s  early  as  1865,  when  it  gave  the 
Yosemite  Valley  to  California,  it  gave  ns  also 
the  Mariposa  Grove  of  Big  Trees.  These 
belong  to  the  people  of  our  state  only,  and  we 
have  passed  laws  to  take  care  of  them. 

In  1890,  the  United  States  made  two  new 
National  Parks  in  California,  just  to  preserve 
the  Big  Trees.  These  are  the  Geueral  Grant 
l^ational  Park,  called  after  one  of  the  trees 
which  bears  the  soldier's  name,  and  the  Sequoia 
National  Park.  These  belong  to  the  people  of 
the  whole  United  States.  Unfortunately,  within 
these  two  parks,  numerous  acres  are  still 
owned  by  private  companies,  some  of  whom 
are  lumbering  the  Sequoias  oft'  their  claims. 
As  the  trees  are  too  enormous  to  handle 
easily,  they  are  blasted  to  pieces,  and  the 
chunks  of  soft  wood  are  used  for  shingles  and 
for  grapevine  stakes.  Just  think  of  murdering 
a  tree,  several  thousand  years  old,  to  hold 
up  a  weakling  vine!  Then  all  the  rubbish 
scattered  over  the  ground  prevents  the  young 
trees  from  growing,  and  also  keeps  the  parks 
in  constant  danger  of  fire.     It  is  to  be  hoped 


HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA   PLANTS  19;') 

that  the  ^N'ational  Government  Avill  soon  pur- 
chase the  private  claims  and  so  be  able  to 
preserve  the  trees  in  its  park.  And  Avhile  we 
are  wishing,  we  might  as  well  hope  that  Con- 
gress will  buy  up  the  other  groves  of  Sequoia, 
all  of  which  ai-e  now  in  the  hands  of  private 
citizens. 

The  Sequoia  (jigantea  is  trying  hard  to  con- 
tinue its  species.  It  tlowers  profusely  in  the 
late  Avinter  or  early  spring.  The  staminate 
tassel  is  so  full  of  pollen  that  it  covers  the  forest 
around  with  gold.  The  pistillate  flower  has 
from  twenty-five  to  forty  yellow  scales,  and 
under  each  of  these  from  three  to  seven  seeds 
are  ripened.  There  are  great  numbers  of  cones 
on  each  branch,  for  they  are  so  tiny  that  each 
twig  can  bear  a  quantity.  When  the  cones  are 
mature,  the  scales  open  and  the  winged  seeds 
fly  out.  They  have  a  good  chance  to  go  sail- 
ing, for  they  have  the  full  force  of  the  wind 
above  the  heads  of  the  other  trees.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  only  one  seed  in  10,000  grows  into 
a  tree.  Such  superior  trees  are  delicate  in  their 
infancy.      Even  if  they  grew  easily,  we  could 


11)6  HABITS  OF  CALIFORNIA  PLANTS 

not  afford  to  sacrifice  the  old  ones;  for  we  will 
not  be  here  in  three  thousand  years  to  see  the 
younger  ones  in  maturity. 

The  only  near  relative  the  Sequoia  gigantea 
has  is  our  KedAvood,  the  Sequoia  Hempervirens, 
also  found  only  in  California.  These  two  are 
the  only  Sequoias  in  the  world.  They  were 
named  for  a  Cherokee  chief,  who,  in  1826, 
invented  the  Cherokee  alphabet.  This  was 
used  to  print  a  journal  for  his  tribe,  called  the 
CheroTcee  Phcenix,  and  it  was  also  used  in  a 
translation  of  the  New  Testament.  You  may 
be  glad  that  you  ai'e  not  a  Cherokee  child,  for 
there  are  eighty-five  chai-acters  in  this  alphabet, 
and  probabl}^  you  have  enough  trouble  with  our 
own  twenty-six.  Howca  er,  it  takes  a  great  man 
to  invent  an  alpiial:)et,  and  Ave  need  not  feel  tiiat 
our  great  trees  are  misnamed.  The  meaning  of 
gigantea  jow  all  know,  and  sempervirens  means 
"  always  green." 

The  Sequoia  sempervirens  is  to  me  the  most 
beautiful  ti-ee  Ave  haA'e.  You  children  Avho  live 
in  its  belt  on  the  Coast  Range,  are  to  be  con- 
gratulated.     On    this    tree    you    Avill    find    tAvo 


KEDWOOD. 


TIARITS  OF  OALfFOENIA  PLANTS  li)9 

«T.T..T,«^T.      I'^'iinls  of  IcMves  —  those  on  tlic  iii)pcr 
REDWOOD.     ,  ,         T, 

l)raiiclK's   like    those   of  Sefpioia  gl- 

(lantea,    which    are    short    and    lying    close    on 

the    stem,  and    those    on    the    lower   branches; 

which    are   longer    and    stand    at    I'ight    angles 

with   the   stem,  one    I'ow  on    each    side.      The 

latter   are   much   the   prettier,  with  theii'  under 

side  covered  with  a  palish    bloom.     Have   you 

noticed    how   they  take    a    half    turn    near   the 

base,    so    that   they   can   stand    out    from    their 

stems?      Have    you    looked    at    them    with    a 

microscope?     If  so,  what  did  you  see? 

The  Redwood  flowers  in  late  winter.  Watch 
how  its  staminate  flow^er  is  I'aised  on  a  little 
stem  when  it  is  ready  to  discharge  the  ])ollen. 
Its  pistillate  flower  usually  has  about  twenty 
scales,  which,  as  they  ripen  into  the  cone,  spread 
themselves  out  into  little  disks  with  deep  ridges 
upon  them.  Notice  how  they  difter  from  the 
cones  of  the-Pine.  Under  each  scale  ai'e  from 
three  to  Ave  seeds.  When  the  seeds  are  rij^e, 
each  has  a  paii-  of  Avings  as  broad  as  its  body. 

Besides  reproducing  from  seed,  the  Redwood 
insui'cs    new   growth    ])y    sending    out    shoots 


200  HABITS  OF  CALIFOKNIA  PLANTS 

around  every  stump.  Sometimes,  too,  it  grows 
anew  from  fallen  branches.  This  habit  of  striv- 
ing- to  persist  makes  the  Redwood  forest  the 
densest  growth  we  have,  and  under  its  shade 
all  sorts  of  plant  treasures  reward  the  botanist's 
search. 

Aftei-  studying  these  plants  tliat  have  two 
kinds  of  blossoms  to  make  their  seeds,  you  will 
see  that  many  of  the  largest  and  strongest  in 
the  vegetable  world  belong  to  this  class.  They 
may  not  be  so  easy  to  observe  as  the  little 
plants  that  creep  at  your  feet,  but  they  are 
equally  interesting. 

If  we  only  use  our  eyes  well,  we  will  find  that 
each  plant,  whether  it  be  herb,  shrub,  or  tree, 
has  its  own  individual  way  of  doing  its  life 
work.  Right  here  in  California,  where  there 
are  so  many  new  plants  as  yet  unstudied,  and 
where  the  climate  allows  one  to  be  out  of  doors 
all  the  year  round,  is  a  very  good  place  for 
a  boy  or  girl  to  plan  to  become  a  famous 
naturalist. 


INDEX. 


Abies  maguiflca,  173 

Acer  Calif ornicum,  146 

Acer  macrophyllum.  146 

Alcalde,  82 

Alder,  141 

Alfalfa,  95-97 

Alfllerilla,  101 

Alnus  rhombifolia,  141 

Alnus  rubra,  141 

Anise,  115 

Arctostaphylos,  67 

Aspen, 139 

Aster,  117 

Azalea,  69 

Baby-blue-eyes,  18-20 

Bay  tr-^e,  60 

Bears'  grapes,  67 

Bee  plant,  79 

Big  tree,  187 

Bluebell,  Calif  or  nian,  20 

Box  elder,  146 

Brassbuttons,  118 

Buckwheat,  63 

Buttercup,  9-12 

Caraway,  115 

Carrot,  wild,  113,  115,  116 

Cedar,  incense,  187,  188 


Cedar,  red,  ls7 
Celery,  113,  115 
Clierokee  Ph(enix,  196 
Chia,  87 

Cliilicothe,  129   132 
Clover,  101 
Clover,  bur,  97-99 
Clover,  owl's,  79 
Cockle  bur,  118 
CoUinsia,  79 
Columbine,  46-51 
Compass  plant,  125,  127 
Compositif,  117-123 
Coriander,  1 15 
Corylus,  149 
Cottonwood,  137-139 
Cowslip,  16 
Crane's  bill,  105 
Cruciferas  15, 16 
Cucumber,  Avild,  129 
Cupressus  macrocarpa,  183 
Cupulifera',  149 
Cypress,  Monterey,  181-183 
Dandelion,  117,  121 
Dill,  115 
Dock,  63 
Dodecatheon,  29 

201 


2(»2 


INDEX 


Dutchman's  Pipe,  5.",  oB 
Eqiiitant  leaves,  42 
Erodium,  103 

Eschscholtzia  Calif  ornica,  L'-4 
Eveniug  Primrose,  18 
Everlasting,  118 
Eennel,  113,  lio 
Eilaree,  101,  103 
Fir,  red,  172,  17.-. 
Fir,  silver,  176 
Fir,  Venus,  175,  177 
Fir,  "white,  175 
Firs,  175-178 
Fleur-de-lis,  43 
Footsteps  of  spring,  113 
Four  o'clock.  Go 
Fritillaria,  43-4ii 
Gerauiacea?,  103 
Geranium  family,  103 
Ginger,  ■wild.  56-58 
Glutinosus,  75 
Goldenrod,  118 
Grindelia,  123,  125 
Gumplant,  118 
Hazelnut,  147,  140 
Heaths,  CD 
Hemlock,  177,  178 
Hollyhock,  29-33 
Honeysuckle,  74 
Huckleberry,  69 
Hyacinth,  wild,  46 
Indian  paintbrush,  7'.),  sO 


Insignis,  20 

Involucre,  123 

Iris,  37-43 

.Tohnny-j  ump-up ,  1 05-1 09 

Juniper,  183,  187 

.Tuniperus  Californica,  187 

Juniperus  occidentalis,  187 

Lace  pod,  16 

Larkspur,  50-53 

Laurel,  California,  60-(;3 

Laurel,  mountain,  60 

Lay  la,  120 

Legurainos;¥,  93 

Libocedrus  decurrens,  187,  188 

T>ily,  clieckered,  43 

Lily,  flag,  37 

Lily,  Mariposa,  46 

Lily,  tiger.  46 

Lotus,   101 

Lupine,  8'.i-t)o 

.Madrono,  69-72 

Mallow,  33-36 

Malva,  33 

Man-in-the-ground,  132 

Manzanita,  66-69 

Maple,  145 

Mariana,  20 

Medicago,  97 

Milkweed,  121 

Miraulus,  74-79 

:\riut,  81,  82 

Mission  bells,  43 


INDEX 


203 


Mustard,  12-15 
Mustard,  true  or  black,  13 
Mustard,  wild,  U 
Nemophila,  20 
Nut  piue,  Fremont's,  lfi8 
Oak,  black,  155 
Oak,  live,  151-155 
Oak, tanbark,  157 
Oak,  -white,  149-151 
Old  man  of  spring,  121 
Onagracca',  18 
Onion,  ■wild,  46 
Oxalis,  105 
Papilionacea",  91 
Pappus,  121 
Parsley,  110 
Parsnip,  cow,  113 
Pea  family,  91,  101 
Pea,  wild,  99,  100 
Pentstemon,  79 
Pepper  grass,  16 
Pigweed,  G3 
Pine,  digger,  165-16S 
Pine,  Monterey,  169 
Pine,  nut,  165 
Pine,  single-leaf,  168 
Pine,  sngar,  161-163 
Pine,  tamarack,  171 
Pine,  yellow,  163 
Pines,  158-172 
Piues,  lumber,  165 
Pinus  contorta,  172 


Pinus  insignis,  169 
Pinus  Lambertiaua,  163 
Pinus  nionophylla,  168 
Pinus  ponderosa,  163 
Pinus  Sabiniana,  168 
Platanus,  145 
Poplar,  137 
Poppy,  21-24 

Populus  Fremonti,  137,  138 
Populus  tremuloides,  139 
Populus  trichocarpa,  137 
Pseudotsuga  Douglassi,  178,  179 
Pussy  willow,  134 
Quercus  agrifolia,  151 
Quercus  Califoruica,  155 
Quercus  densiflora,  157 

Quercus  lobata,  149,  150 
(^uercus  Wislizeni,  152 
Kacemosa,  145 

Kattle'\>eed,  101 

Redwood,  199,  200 

Kesin-weed,  123 

HLiubailj,  wild,  r.3 

Rice  root,  43 

Roblt-,   150 

Rock  cress,  16 

Rostrata,  149 

Sage,  white,  84,  85 

Salal,  69 

Salicacea',  137 

Salix,  137 

Scrophulariaceie,  79 


204 


INDEX 


Sequoia  sempervirens,  193 
Sequoia  gigantea,  191-196 
Shepherd's  purse,  16 
Shooting  star,  25-29 
Smartweed,  63 
Snapdragon,  79 
Snapdragon,  yellow,  76 
Snowberry,  72-74 
Soap  root,  4C, 
Speedwell,  79 
Spring  beauty,  16 
Spruce,  Douglas,  179 
Suncup,   16 
Sunflower,  117,  125 
Sunshine,  118,  127,  128 
Sycamore,  142-145 
Thistle,  117 
Thuya  gigantea,  187 


Tidytips,  118-121 
Trillium,  111 
Tsuga  heterophylla,  177 
Tumbleweed,  65 
Turnip,  16 

Umbelliferse,  113-117 
Verbena,  sand,  58-60 
Violacea-,  109 
Violet,  dog-tooth,  46 
Violet  nemophila,  20 
Wake  robin,  46 
Wall  flower,  16 
Willow,  133-137 
Wishbone  tree,  194 
Yellow  mats,  113,  116 
Verba  !)nena,  82 
Verba  de  la  vibora,  116 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


^l^'i    4R£(rD 
BiQMED.  MAR  1 8  1979 


PSD  2343    9/77 


THE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


3   1158  00185  3620 


149 

\9o3 


0.0M 


03: 


Mnr 


